Flames
by LongLiveOlivera4ever
Summary: Alice and Carlos aren't just 2 of the few people left. they're also people with strong feelings...especially for each other. This is my version of ResiExtinction, moviebased. and Carlos and L.J. don't die! starts with alice's return and will continue...
1. Olivera's got that feeling

FLAMES

The flame-thrower was doing what it did best: throwing flame. I ran back to join the rest of the convoy in the truck, ignoring the dying shrieks of the infected birds as they were burned alive.

Suddenly, Maelena scrambled out from under the truck, putting us both in the danger zone. She ran into my arms and I held her, trying to protect her from a fiery death we were both to experience for as long as I could. I felt the heat at my back and closed my eyes, prepared to die.

I sensed it before I saw it. The fire was being held at bay by some unseen force. The at-once-familiar smell of a combination of sweat, leather and female hit me as my eyes flew open. They landed immediately on the one person it could ever possibly be; the one who's remarkable strength, extraordinary beauty, both in and out, and amazing compassion had captured my heart more than five years ago, the very moment I met her. Alice Prospero-Abernathy.

Her blue eyes flickered, the force of the shield she was making with her mind causing her to grit her teeth. The flame died down, feathers falling down around us, as I released Maelena, who ran back to the truck, and hurried toward Alice. Her eyes flickered again before she collapsed face-first into my arms. I breathed a sigh of relief as she gazed up into my eyes; it was like a cold sip of water after years in the desert. I smiled at her, as she tried to catch her breath. I hugged her close, thankful to have her back at last, and her breathing eventually slowed as she fell asleep, exhausted from God-knows-what. I picked her up and carried her to my truck, laying her down in the back where I spent nights and tucking her in. She shifted and rolled over, making a smacking noise with her lips that made me smile; so innocent in sleep, so ass-kicking in reality.

I left the door cracked open as I walked over to Claire Redfield, the leader of the convoy, who was waiting for an explanation.

Alice's POV

I rolled over, sighing. I felt oddly rested, which was odd. I hugged a soft object under my head, a pillow, I guessed. I thought it was a dream, a mind-blowing dream that I could actually relax and not have to bring down a corporation that had caused the entire world to become flesh-eating zombies, until I buried my face in the pillow. The scent of sweat, gunpowder and something that was clearly male hit my nose, a familiar scent. Carlos.

My eyes flew open as the scene from earlier streamed through my head. A rather pretty girl, a teenage blond, jumped back, looking cautious and startled. I held up a hand to signal peace and smiled at her, noticing a bracelet that had been placed on my arm.

"Is this yours?" I asked, my voice raspy and dry. She handed me a bottle of water.

"Yeah. It's for luck. I figured you needed it more than I did." She said, smiling uncertainly.

"Do you have a name?" I asked before taking a sip of the water.

"K-Mart." Was her simple reply. I spit out my water to keep from choking on it, making her laugh.

"Do you have another name?" I prayed it was that simple, but stupid reality had a way of crashing down around me.

"I never liked it. Everyone I knew is dead, so it seemed like time for a change." She looked out the window as she said it. I followed her gaze to see a group of dusty children gasp and duck away from the window, afraid of getting caught.

"You're a legend, you know," She said, bringing my attention back to her, "None of us have ever seen anything like you. That was amazing; what you did, I mean."

"Not by choice. No one should ever have to be the thing I am."

"What you did was weird, and kind of scary, but Carlos trusts you," she said, "And that's enough to make anyone trust you. Carlos doesn't trust anyone of us completely, not even L.J., who's his best friend!" I looked at her, unsure of what to make of her statement. She reached out and took my hand, smiling.

"Wanna go outside?" She asked. I nodded my agreement and we opened the back doors of the truck, stepping into the bright sunlight. There were various people gathered around a row of wooden crosses, some people crying, others staring hopelessly and disbelievingly into space. K-Mart ran to Carlos, who was at the front, and threw herself into his arms. She started to bawl her eyes out; she was so young to have witnessed the amount of pain and destruction she had undoubtedly been through. A figure I recognized as L.J. dropped to the ground, holding out a necklace to put around one of the crosses, sobbing. Carlos looked up and straight at me and smiled. I smiled back, unsure whether to join in the mourning or stand back and give this convoy their space.

"Alice!" L.J. yelled, his voice choked with tears, "You're alive, bitch! Give me a hug!" He hugged me, a smile shining through his tears. I laughed.

"L.J., you son of a bitch! I can't believe this. It's good to see you1" I hugged him back, happy to see my quirky friend who, even when he was broken inside, could always smile and make someone's day brighter.


	2. Meet the family, sorta

Ha, ha, second chapter, finally! Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did, I do not own Carlos, Alice, L.J., Claire, Mikey, K-Mart…..but I do own pretty much everyone else. Mad Skills!!

Carlos's POV

"Claire," I began, just before she cut me off.

"That was her, right?" she asked, surprising me.

"Who?" I asked.

"The woman you love. That's her, right?"

Alice? I'm not….I mean, we don't, she's not…"

"Carlos, I've known you for five years and she's the only woman you've ever talked about."

"What?" I asked, confused, "I've never talked about Alice, except for during the campfire stories."

"Carlos….you talk….in your sleep sometimes. L.J. said something and I wanted to make sure you were okay, so I peeked in at you and you were almost always having nightmares. And, in a few of them…you told Alice you loved her and nothing more would ever hurt her because you were there for her. And you screamed and cried a lot…" she trailed off. I was stunned; I really did love Alice.

"Well, I'm going to…help bury the dead." Claire said, walking off to escape the awkwardness of the situation. I looked toward my truck to see K-Mart getting in. I smiled; K-Mart was a really sweet kid.

Later on, we stood in front of the seven wooden crosses, marking seven more lost survivors. L.J. broke down, sobbing on Betty's grave. He was my best friend and seeing him sob his heart out really hurt me because it really meant he was in pain.

A little blonde threw herself into my arms. K-Mart. I looked around and saw Alice, standing off to the side, looking like she was trying hard to make a decision.

"Alice! You're alive, bitch! Give me a hug!" L.J. yelled, obviously spotting Alice. He hugged her as she said something to him before hugging him back. She smiled.

It was like the sun coming out. I passed K-Mart off to Mikey and walked over to Alice.

"Yo, Carlos, I can't believe this. Our own resident hottie is back!" L.J. said, smiling at my grimace of jealousy.

"How'd you sleep?" I asked, taking L.J.'s arm from around her shoulders and replacing it with my own. She wrapped her arm around my waist and leaned against me.

"Hmmm, I woke up thinking the pillow was just a really cruel dream." She smirked. She didn't notice L.J. wink at me before he wandered off, leaving me alone with Alice.

I let go of her and told her to stay by the gas pump. She looked at me confusedly, but did as I asked. I walked off toward Claire, bring her back with me.

"Alice, this is Claire Redfield. She put this convoy together." I said. Claire caught my eye, smiling with approval.

"Hi, thank you so much for your help. You saved Carlos and Maelena and I can never thank you enough for that." She said, holding out her hand. Alice took and smiled, something she rarely did.

"Anything for the life of another person. I couldn't let them die, especially not Carlos. After all, he did bust me out illegally once; I owed him one." She said.

"Awww, and I was hoping to be able to call you on that on day." I looked into her eyes, seeing the silent laughter.

"Hey, she still owes you a few," L.J. said, walking by, "You threw that knife at the guy she missed at the launch site in Raccoon City, you helped her into the helicopter, you…well, you found her food, clothes and cigarettes, too."

"And she gave me the anti-virus. That's twice she's saved my life."

"And about three you've saved hers, including the bust-out mission." L.J. said.

Claire interrupted.

"Okay, guys, now that you've figured the debts Alice and Carlos have to each other, I really think we should give her a bunk and induct her in." she said. Alice's mouth opened to protest.

"Great idea! But everywhere's full now, except Carlos's truck…" L.J. trailed off.

"Then, it's settled. Alice will sleep in Carlos's truck. Problem solved. So, Alice, any questions?"

"Well, as you've closed the argument on my sleeping arrangements, I only have one. Does everyone really call that girl K-Mart?"


	3. Fireworks

Alice's POV

The woman, Claire, I think her name was, was kinda pushy, insisting I sleep in Carlos's truck, but, oddly, I couldn't bring myself to argue. The thought of spending the night in a truck with Carlos and no one else sent a thrill to my heart and was kind of scary at the same time. I could fight off hoards of flesh-eating zombies, kill three humongous lickers single-handedly and I could kill people with my mind and I was a little scared of spending my nights alone with Carlos. It could be bad if he didn't feel the same way. It wasn't even as if I'd never slept in the same room as Carlos before, but there'd always been someone else there, too: L.J., Angie, Valentine…..

"Hey, Carlos, what happened to Angie and Jill?" I asked, fearing the answer, especially when L.J. flinched. Carlos sighed and leaned against the gas pump.

"We ran out of the anti-virus and Angie turned. Jill shot Angie, then shot herself because Angie had mutated a bit and scratched her. Jill always did say she'd rather be dead than one of those things, walking around without a soul." The familiar phrase swept through me like a tornado ripping up trees; it hurt much more than it should have or I expected it would.

"Yeah, Valentine was proud 'til the end." L.J. said.

"Carlos, we need the perimeter up!" a blond man with an accent yelled from a truck, unloading a four-wheeler out of the back. Carlos smiled, then looked at me.

"Wanna come?" He asked, taking a walkie-talkie out of his pocket. I nodded, wondering what I was getting myself into.

Carlos's POV

I deliberately sped up and slowed down, enjoying the feel of Alice's arms clenching and unclenching around my waist.

"Cut it out." She said, lifting an arm to swat at my shoulder.

"What?" I asked, "I'm not doing anything." I tried to hide my smirk by inserting another perimeterial camera-pole into the ground.

"Yeah, I see the smirk. Don't think I don't." She said, smiling softly and leaning against my back. I finished securing the perimeter, then we headed back to the convoy.

As it was a nice night, they'd set up campfires and assembled in groups around them, telling stories. Alice and I walked over to the one that Claire, L.J., K-Mart, Chase and Mikey were scattered around.

"Hey, guys," I said, sitting down, "What's going on?"

"We're talking about the things we miss from when the world was alive." Chase said, tipping his cowboy hat and grinning.

"Yeah, I miss McDonalds. They had some damn good cheeseburgers…and some hot bitches behind the counter." L.J. said.

"Same old L.J. Nice to know the end of the world hasn't changed you." Alice said. Everyone chuckled, especially me and Alice, who had known L.J. before the end of the world.

"I miss the parties," Claire said, "Five years ago, I was still in college and we used to play truth or dare all the time, especially when the guys were around."

"I remember that game. I was never allowed to play because I was too young, but it always looked fun." K-Mart said. No wonder she wasn't allowed to play; she was only nine when the world ended.

"Dude, we should play, have a little old-fashioned fun." L.J. said.

"Yeah, Mikey, truth or dare?" Chase asked, an evil grin in his eyes.

"Truth, mate. You look bloody devious and I enjoy having all my body parts attached." Mikey's accented voice was choking back laughter.

"Guys, rule, only one. K-Mart is not allowed to do inappropriate things." I said, glaring at L.J. in particular, who I knew had some devious schemes already hatching in his head.

"Yes, Dad." Claire said, hugging K-Mart, who was smiling at me, around the shoulders.

"Okay, Mikey," Started Chase, "What's the most random thing you've ever done?"

"Oh, God, must I say it in front of the women?" Mikey groaned. I looked at Alice, who was shaking with silent laughter. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer to me. Our eyes met and the smile faded from her face. The fire felt hotter and her eyelids lowered a little as her lips parted. I leaned over, closer, wanting so much to kiss her, to hold her forever, just us-

"…in a chicken suit while wearing roller blades and my pants fell off." Claire, Chase, L.J. and K-Mart were rolling around laughing. Alice closed her eyes, leaning her head against my chest. I stroked her hair with my fingers, cursing the game of truth or dare. I breathed in Alice's scent, that sweaty leather woman smell that captivated me.

"Carlos, truth or dare?" Mikey asked.

"Dare." I said dreamily, not quite aware of what the question was. Mikey grinned maniacally, turning to whisper heatedly with Claire and L.J. They turned their backs to me, bring to my attention the impact of what I had just done.

"Do you realize the impact of what you've just done?" Alice whispered with amusement in her voice.

"I'm beginning to." I said. She laughed huskily, sending a warmth down my spine.

"Alright, Carlos. It's been a while since you've had any action, right?" Mikey asked, turning around.

"Well, I don't fool around with L.J. on the side, if that's what you're getting at." I said. Alice wasn't the only one who laughed this time; Chase, Claire and K-Mart doubled over in hysterics, while L.J. snorted.

"Like you could get any from me, anyway, mother-fucker. You can kiss my ass." He said, causing me and Mikey to join in on the laughter.

"Okay, Carlos," Mikey managed to sputter out between laughs, "I dare you to make out with Alice. She hasn't been inducted properly and you're practically salivating over her. Just kiss her already."

Alice's POV

"Just kiss her already." The blond guy, Mikey?, said.

"Mikey, did you just say make out? What are you, fourteen?" Chase asked.

"Hey, I take offense to that!" K-Mart expressed.

"Carlos, Alice…." Claire smirked at us, "Carlos was dared. Besides, Carlos needs some action anyway. I've never seen him with a woman."

Carlos looked down at me, the fire illuminating his brown eyes which were dilated with lust.

He wanted this just as much as I did. Our mouths met halfway.

I didn't expect the rush of emotion, the fire that spread everywhere throughout my body, the fireworks that went off in my head. It was spectacular, it was thrilling, it was the most amazing experience of my life.

His tongue parted my lips, drawing a moan from deep in my throat. His warm arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer, deepening our kiss.

He tasted of warmth, of sin, of protection and something else, something hotter and more complex and wonderful than I could ever describe. His fingers tangled in my hair and tilted his head further, deepening our kiss even more. I sighed at the same moment as he groaned and moaned at the same time, sounding like a growl as he nipped at my lower lip. He smirked and kissed me again.

"Hey, ya'll get a room!" Chase yelled. We broke apart, breathing heavily, and stared into each other's eyes. His were almost pitch-black and he licked his lips. My lips begged me to kiss him again.

"Shield your eyes, K-Mart. Those two horny punks are too sex-hungry for your innocent eyes." L.J. put his hand over K-Mart's eyes. K-Mart's mouth was wide open in stark amazement.

"Damn," Claire said, "Well, I think it's time for bed. We'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon, I guess." Claire and K-Mart stood and walked around the other campfires, relaying the bed-time announcement to the rest of the convoy.


	4. Killed? That's nothing new

Carlos's POV

I kept rolling over, shifting around, trying to get comfortable and not disturb the sleeping woman next to me. She sighed and rolled over, facing me. Her chest rose and fell with her gentle breathing. Her pink lips were lax and seemed to whisper to me. I remembered the feel of them against my own, the taste of passion, of honey, of something wonderful and unknown that made me long for another taste.

My hand reached over and brushed her strawberry-blonde hair out of her face, then traced the features of her beautiful face. I leaned over and brushed my lips over hers.

Her hand brushed my face, startling me. I pulled back, looking straight into her aquamarine eyes.

"Having fun?" She asked before connecting our mouths again. I pulled back.

"How long have you been awake?" I asked, kissing her again.

"All night. You kept moving around."

"Oh, yeah. I'd forgotten what a light sleeper you are." I smiled at her.

"Wanna put me in a deep sleep?" She asked.

My tongue slipped into her mouth. Her hands pulled my face closer. Our breath mingled and she sighed again.

"How do you do that?" I asked, breaking our kiss momentarily.

"You drive me to do crazy things, Olivera. Now, shut up and kiss me." She whispered. I obliged happily. My brain barely registered the loud blaring noise coming from Mikey's truck until Claire's voice buzzed through my walkie-talkie.

"Carlos…we've got a problem!" She yelled, "Get your ass into gear. We've gotta move!" Alice and I broke apart again, groaning.

I crawled up front, starting up the truck.

"Holy shit." I said in disbelief.

"What?" Alice asked, crawling up front.

"Fuck." She said, looking around.

"What are they?" I whispered.

"Lickers." Was her answer.

"What in hell is a licker?" L.J.'s voice buzzed through the walkie-talkie.

"The t-virus injected directly into living tissue." She said.

"Guys, there's a big red monkey outside." Mikey said through the walkie-talkie.

"What is this, Hellboy?" Chase asked.

"I wish. At least he was a demon from another dimension with a big heart that ended up saving the world. This is a blood-thirsty, freakishly strong mutant that Umbrella developed." Alice told everyone. Her statement was met with silence as everyone digested the information.

"Shit." Claire said.

"What's going on?" We could all hear K-Mart ask Claire, sounding panicked.

A terrifying growl roared outside, making me turn to Alice. She'd frozen in place, staring out the window at the creature.

"Okay, I'm going in. Cover me." She said. My years of training kicked in as she opened the passenger door and jumped out, drawing her gun.

"Hey, Umbrella, you can kiss my ass!" She yelled to the sky, drawing the lickers' attention. She charged into the gas station, the lickers following behind her.

"Claire, I need dynamite and gas, now!" "I yelled into the walkie-talkie.

"Is she suicidal?!" Mikey yelled, concern making his voice sound panicked.

"No, she's brilliant." I said calmly.

"Dynamite and gas….got them! Let's go, Carlos!" Claire yelled. I jumped out of my truck, sprinting toward the gas station.

"Hose the inside with gas!" I yelled to Claire, then put sticks of dynamite around the perimeter of the building.

A piercing shriek came from inside the station. Claire came running out, followed by licker. It roared.

"Shit! Claire!" Mikey yelled over K-Mart's screams to Claire.

I threw a lit match at the licker, hoping to catch it on fire and lead the thing away from Claire and the convoy. I roared again, looking toward me. The match lit a small patch of its back on fire. It started walking toward me, its bumpy red tongue stretching toward me.

The fire suddenly blazed hotter and spread across the licker's back. Alice stood starting, unblinking, at the licker, spreading the fire with her mind.

"Alice!" I yelled, motioning to her to run back to the truck. The licker ran toward her, a terrible noise coming from its gruesome mouth. Alice dodged, running toward me and the truck as the station ignited.

The explosion was terrible and great; the lickers both went up in flames immediately as the gas station disintegrated.

Alice ran into my arms and we ducked. Slowly, the fire died down and I reached in my truck to turn it off. We walked out to Claire's hummer; Claire and K-Mart were huddled in the driver's seat.

"You're amazing. How did you know how to do that?" Chase asked Alice as he wandered over to us.

"Shit! We should leave! There might be more of those big mother-fuckers out there!" L.J. yelled, refusing to leave the ambulance.

"There are no more. They're all dead." Alice said flatly, no emotion showing on her face at all.

"And how the fuck would you know that?" Mikey asked, wiping sweat off his forehead with his sleeve.

"Because I've killed four and Carlos and Claire killed two and there were only six to begin with." She said.

"And you would know this how?" Chase looked at her confusedly.

"Because I was there, where it all began, when it all began. I was head of security at a top-secret facility called the Hive. That was where the virus escaped and everyone died. The six lickers got loose and I've killed four. The Hive was sealed off when I got out, but Umbrella didn't take the hint when only one person out of a team of experts came out alive and un-infected and they re-opened the Hive and the virus escaped."

Claire, K-Mart, Chase and Mikey stood there with their mouths wide open. L.J. and I already knew this; we'd been in Raccoon City and I used to work for Umbrella.

"Okay. Well, once again, thank you for saving our asses." Claire said.

"But you and Carlos did it, not me." Alice said, not quite looking at Claire, but at a spot beyond her shoulder.

"Yeah, but we couldn't have done it at all if you hadn't distracted them and made them follow you into the building. Speaking of which, are you crazy?!" Claire started to raise her voice, "You couldn't gotten yourself killed!"

"Nothing new. It's not like it hasn't happened before" L.J. said. Alice started cracking up. Boy, it was nice to hear that laugh again.


	5. Personal Guardian Angel

This chapter is dedicated to x.Redd.Phoenix.Flamez.x, who answered my author's note first and saved my butt with her amazing answer. Therefore, I dedicate this chapter to her.

Alice's POV

"Okay, the question is, where do we go from here?" Claire asked that night at the convoy leadership meeting.I don't know when I became a convoy leader, but apparently Claire wanted me there, judging by her "be there or else" remark.

"Here." I said, handing her the book I'd found by the feet of a rotting corpse in a gas station in Salt Lake City.

"Alaska?" Claire looked confused, "Do you have any idea what kind of trip that would be?"

"But it says the infection hasn't spread that far. It's completely isolated." I said, looking at Carlos, who smiled at me.

"There's only a chance. And these people trust me with their lives." claire gestured to the rest of the convoy, who were sharing their canned-food rations with each other and whispering amongst themselves, "These people don't need pipe dreams."

"Maybe that's exactly what they need," Carlos put in, looking at Claire, "Look at them. Six months ago there were sixty of us and now there are barely thirty. They're starting to give up."

Mikey and Chase nodded in agreement.

"Come on, Claire. We've gotta give it a chance." L.J. Said, making a puppydog face. Claire sighed and edged to the open doors of the truck.

"People, we have a decision to make and it's too important for me to make for you. There's a chance there are survivors...in Alaska,"she said, putting emphasis on chance, "There's a chance the infection hasn't spread that far." A smattering of whispers could be heard coming from the group of people.

"Okay, Alaska?" Claire asked. Every hand went into the air.

"Alaska." Claire whispered, nodding her head slightly a few times.

"Okay," Carlos said, pulling a map out of a bag, "If we're going to make this trip, we need to resupply." He pointed out circled red towns on the map.

"These are the places we've hit in Nevada so far." He said, looking up.

"I tried that. It's empty." I said, pointing to a small town. Carlos looked at me and smiled.

"Alaska. Boy, I never expected that one. I'm really glad you showed up."

"Oh, so I'm only good for saving lives and making suggestions about Alaska?" I joked, grabbing his hand under the table to ensure he knew it was a joke.

"Okay, you two, stop flirting." L.J. Said.

"Yeah, no flirting before marriage. Didn't your parents ever tell you that?" Mikey asked. Everyone but me looked at him.

"What is that, some kind of weird foreign thing? No flirting before marriage." Chase started laughing.

I saw flashes of my own disastrous marriage flashing before my eyes. Spence's charm, his good looks, his devious selfishness that had caused the incident in the first place. He had thought it was all about money, when in fact, my dream had been to bring Umbrella down. It was still my dream. My last memory of Spence had been shooting him in the head after he was attacked by a licker and saying his own last words to me, "Missing you already." I never looked back.

Carlos was nothing like Spence. He was sweet, selfless, smart, fun and he honestly seemed to care about me for me. I've never had that; it scared me, it thrilled me, it made me want to give up everything and be with him forever.

Reality always came crashing down around me. JI had a corporation to bring down, a world to save; it would be selfish of me to expect him to wait for me. Either or both of us could die.

The laughter brought me back into the present. Carlos was looking at me intently, as though he were trying to figure something out. Claire cleared her throat.

"Meeting adjourned." She said. We all got out of the truck except Mikey because it was where he slept. Claire's words echoed in my head, echoed from far away. Her voice warped, become deeper, more menacing.

"That's an order." Claire said again, in that voice, except it wasn't Claire. It was someone far away, in a dark place, with a sinister aura.

The vision flashed in my mind. A cold metal room, sparsly lit. Two men, one issuing orders, the other plotting. A single piercing shriek arose behind me and it was like being struck; a gasp wrenched from my throat and I stumbled back. There were dozens of them, in an all-too-familiar red dress, all with gruesome wounds, sprawled out in awkward angles in a concrete pit. Me. Drenched in blood. Lots of mes.

"Alice." Carlos's voice whispered in my ear. I snapped back to reality at the sound of his voice and heard a violent lurching sound behind me.

"What happened?" I whispered, collapsing in his arms.

"You leviated Mikey's truck with him in it. I think you scared ten years off his life."

"Is it okay?" I asked, hoping I hadn't destroyed the truck like I had my motorcycle.

"Yeah, it's fine and so is he-"

"I think I shit myself!" Mikey yelled, making Carlos chuckle. He never looked away from me, as though by looking at me, the world would be better, make sense. He picked me up and carried me to our truck. I drifted off on the way, I guess, because when I woke up, it was quiet and Carlos was next to me, not taking his eyes away from me, refusing to sleep and watching over me, my own guardian angel.


	6. Shout it to the sky

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You guys make my day! This chapter is devoted to my friend, Nikki, because she gave me runts, which gave me enough energy to right a chapter and a half in one class period. Thank you, Nikki!

Carlos's POV

Her eyes fluttered open and she stared at me. I knew she was exhausted from earlier, so I refrained from doing what I really wanted to do, which was kiss her senseless.

"Care to explain?" I asked, knowing I didn't have to explain what I mean; we understood each other well enough for us to know what the other meant.

"Underground, dark room Wesker and Isaacs." She cut off there, definitely holding something back.

"Bastards plotting again?" I asked. She nodded, still looking like there was something else she wasn't telling me.

"Alice, what aren't you telling me?" She looked startled and scared out of her mind.

"There were mes, Carlos, lots of mes. And they were all bloody and mutilated and thrown in a giant ditch. I heard them screaming, but they were dead. I went through my own death dozens of times." She said, unshed tears making her eyes shine impossibly bright, even as they darkened in anguish.

That really was't a story i was prepared for at all. I blinked a few times, digesting the information she'd given me. Suddenly, I realized what was going to happen and what she was thinking and a pain edged its way into my heart and threatened to close my throat.

"Let me know when we're leaving." I said, making her look at me.

"I can't take you with me, Carlos. This is something I have to do alone." She said.

"Well, you're going to have to find a way to make someone else a part of it, too, because you're not leaving without me." I looked her straight in the eyes as I said this, letting her know I wasn't going to back down. She seemed to understand that because she opened her mouth, closed it, then asked, "But what about Claire and the others?"

I laughed, but it didn't sound normal.

"We'll get them to Alaska and then, we'll do anything you want," I said, "We'll bring down Umbrella, Alice, you know we can." She smiled at me and grabbed my hand the same way she had in the meeting, except this time it was more out of emotion.

"How do you know? How do you stay so freakishly hopeful, Carlos?" She asked, snuggling against me. I wrapped my arms around her, keeping her warmth solidly against me.

"Because of you. If I didn't have you, I'd have given up a long time ago. There'd have been no reason to keep going." I kissed her hair, breathing in her scent. She laughed.

"What about L.J.?" She said with amusement and another emotion I couldn't name.

"Hmmm...don't ruin my moment." I said before I started laughing, too. We lay there laughing and talking, absently holding hands or touching each other. It felt so natural, so right, like it was meant for us to be like this.

"What about you? What have you been doing for the past five years?" She asked, looking up at me.

"Just living the high life. Sitting in my personal jacuzzi six hours a day, ordering pizza, watching tv, you know," She started laughing again, "What haven't I done? I've seen thousands die, I've killed my friends and family and I've been running for my life from rabid flesh-eating zombies. The same stuff every other survivor on earth's been doing for the past five years." I looked into her eyes; she wasn't laughing anymore. She brushed a stray lock of hair off my forehead and pressed her soft lips on mine for a sweet kiss.

"Alice," I hesitated to ask the question I'd want to for so long, "Why did you leave us in Detroit?" She froze, releasing a held breath.

"Umbrella was using me. I was too dangerous, I could have hurt you...or the others. So I had to leave. I broke into an Umbrella facility, found the coordinates of my tracking device, disabled it and stayed off the grid. Since, I've been on the move, responding to broadcasts, the works, you know." I looked at her again, seeing her eyes cloud over with thought.

"Something happened, didn't it?" I asked, fearing the amount of pain she'd had to go through.

"The last one I responded to...they tried to rape me, but I killed on of them and they threw me in a pit and set infected dogs on me. But I escaped and the dogs attacked the survivors."

It sickened me that people would do that to another person. The woman I held in my arms, the strong, beautiful and forever amazing woman, had gone through so much, so much I hadn't been there to help her through, to save her from. I wanted to be her superman and I hadn't been there for her.

The last words I heard before drifting off to sleep were from my own mouth.

"Alice, I am hopelessly in love with..."

Alice's POV

"Alice, I am hopelessly in love with you." Carlos murmured before he finally fell asleep. I kissed his cheek as a tear slipped down my own.

"Carlos, what did I do to deserve you? You're too good for me. I cause so much destruction and pain and death. And you...you deserve better than that. You're a dream come true. You're talented, smart, funny, caring and so beautiful you take my breath away," I said, kissing his neck and pulling myself out of his arms. I opened the door of the truck and jumped out.

Wandering around the perimeter, I got lost in thought. Carlos loved me? It was a lot to take in and, yet, it still made me feel lightheaded because I knew I loved him back.

"Why? What did I do to deserve him?" I groaned to the sky, sliding down the side of a vehicle and putting my face in my hands.

"You love him, that's obvious. And he loves you, too. So, what's the problem?" A female voice aboce me asked. Claire and K-Mart had leaned out of their Hummer, looking down at me.

"Sorry my rambling woke you up." I said softly, embarrassed at what they'd heard.

"I said, what's the problem? You guys are in love." Claire said.

"It's complicated." I said.

"What's complicated about it?" K-Mart asked, "Boy loves girl, girl loves boy, they live happily ever after. It's that simple." claire looked at K-Mart like she was crazy.

"Love is never simple, K-Mart." Claire said before getting out of the car and sitting down beside me.

"What's complicated at you and Carlos?" She asked. I don't know what made me want to tell Claire everything, I really don't, but something in me wanted to talk to her. After five years alone, running for my life, to suddenly have companionship was a dream I hadn't dared with for. Now I had it and I was going to take advantage of it.

"I'm an Umbrella pawn and there's no guarantee I'll make it out alive. He deserves someone better, someone who won't hurt him or get him killed. I don't deserve him and he definitely deserves someone better than me." I said. Claire put her hand on my shoulder, making me look up.

"Carlos is a really great guy and he deserves to be happy, right?" She asked. I nodded.

"More than anything, happy." I said.

"And he wants you and you make him happy. And you said yourself that he deserves happiness most of all. Would you deprive him of the thing he loves most?"

"Happiness?" I asked, "Never."

"No," Claire gave a little laugh, "You. He loves you more than anything else."

I breathed slowly, loving her words but not wanting to show it.

"He's coming with me, when I go." I said to cover my glee and just get another problem over with. K-Mart laughed sweetly and sadly above me.

"We knew he would, Alice. We knew, once he found you, he would never let you go" She smiled at me. I knew the knowledge had to hurt her, for she had a crush on Carlos, but even the fourteen-year-old girl knew you couldn't destroy love.

"Thank you." I whispered to her; I knew she understood what her sacrifice meant to me.

"You'd have to beat him with a hammer and drown him in nacho cheese to stop him from going with you." Claire stated, obviously missing the exchange between K-Mart and me. Then what she said registered; K-Mart started laughing first.

"That's an interesting scenario. But the point is correct." A deep voice said from the direction of the front of the truck. I froze; reality really did hate me.

Carlos and L.J. Stepped into view, both lowering the guns they'd had aimed at us.

"We heard noises and you'd disappeared, Alice. Thought there was another incident." Carlos said, a twinkle replacing the raw fear in his eyes.

"What was that about nacho cheese? Damn, Olivera, you have all the fun!" L.J. Said, "And when are we leaving, Alice?" I looked at him in confusion.

"Don't ask me. Claire runs the convoy." He gave me one of those "are you stupid" looks.

"I know that. I'm not oblivious. I was talking about you, me and Carlos. When are we leaving to bring down Umbrella?" I must have appeared as stunned as I felt because he added, with a scoff, "Like you guys could leave me behind. And I can't let you two run off alone. You might do naughty things."

He started murmuring to himself, making Carlos laugh.

"Oh, God, L.J. I definitely couldn't leave you. Who else would interrupt me at crucial moments in my life and call me a mother-fucker?"

I started laughing, remembering the moment Carlos and I first saw each other and L.J.'s amazing words: "You shoulda told me you got bit, mother-fucker. I'm hangin' with ya and shit."

I borrowed Jill Valentine's words to end the conversation, changing one word.

"Welcome aboard."


	7. And then there were five

My cat, Dolphus, gave birth last week to four kittens and I named one of them Alice Olivera in tribute to the love that will always be but can never be. And one of their name's is L.J., too, in tribute to the "mother-fucker" man.

WARNING: THIS CONTAINS EXPLICIT MATERIAL!!!!!!

Carlos's POV

Alice and L.J. shook hands, sealing the deal. I knew L.J. was feeling like the team was getting back together and, frankly, that sense came over me as well until I remembered that two vital members of our group were never going to be there.

"Man, I'm gonna miss having the kid with us." L.J. leaned against the Hummer, voicing my thoughts.

"What kid?" K-Mart asked; we'd never explained the full story, just about Alice's existence and breaking her out of Umbrella. Jill and Angie's deaths were always too painful to talk about with people who wouldn't understand.

"Angela Ashford. Angie, she liked to be called. And Jill's not going to be with us either." Alice told K-Mart and Claire, then directed the rest of the statement toward me and L.J.

K-Mart got out of the truck and sat down next to Alice, who took her hand.

"I'll go." K-Mart offered. L.J., Claire, Alice and I exchanged horrified glances before L.J. summed up what we were all thinking.

"No way in Hell!" He yelled.

"Why not?" She looked distressed and angry at the same time.

"You're too young and it's too dangerous. You'll be safe in Alaska." Claire said.

"I don't want to be safe in Alaska. I don't care if you think I'm too young and it's too dangerous. I'm tired of living this way. I refuse to spend the rest of my life hiding in fear. If I'm going to die, then I want to die know I lived doing something worthwhile. And saving the world and bring down Umbrella once and for all are the most worthwhile things I can live to do and I'm going with you, dammit!" We were shocked by her language, but the emotion and passion as she made her statement convinced me to take her. Alice, too, apparently, because she smiled and hugged K-Mart.

"You can come." She said in that indecipherable voice of hers. Claire looked sad.

"You're taking K-Mart? Now who am I supposed to talk to on my way to Alaska?" She made the funny, sarcastic remark to cover her sadness. Alice instantly reacted, hating the sadness that was in the air that we all felt, regardless of how much Claire tried to hide it.

"We're getting you and the convoy to Alaska first." She said; Claire's face brightened immensely.

"Then, I'm coming with you, too." She told Alice, who looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding her agreement.

"You're certainly capable of handling what's out there." She said.

"And then, there were five…." L.J. said like a menacing horror movie director.

But he was right. It was five of us again, one of us even a kid, like it'd been in the beginning. I just hoped it wouldn't end the same way.

Alice attempted to stifle a yawn, reminding me that she hadn't had any sleep in the two nights she'd been with us and it was my fault. I walked over to her and picked her up.

"Carlos," She said. That one word spoken in her huskily sleepy voice finally sent me over the edge.

"Bed. Now." I said gruffly, growling a good night at the other three as I stalked off toward the truck with Alice in my arms, ignoring L.J. and Claire's choked-back laughter and K-Mart's confused, "What was that all about? Is she really that tired?"

I clamored into the truck, laying Alice down inside.

"Sleep." I ordered, not wanting either of us to sleep; I had other activities in mind and I'm not talking about popsicle-stick birdhouses.

"Do you want me to roll over and play dead while I'm at it?" she smirked at me. I smirked back and lowered myself over her before whispering in her ear, "No, I want you alive for what I have in mind."

I kissed her, putting all the withheld passion from the past five years into it. I licked her lower lip, parting it from her upper lip to slide my tongue into her mouth. Our tongues mated in an age-old dance. Her hands reached between us to unzip my vest before I shrugged it off and threw it to the side. I started unbuttoning her shirt, my fingers brushing against her warm, bare skin. I ripped it open, dragging it from her shoulders and down her arms, leaving her naked from the waist up. She shivered as I feathered my hand down the center of her chest, splaying it on her stomach before bringing my head down to kiss a firm mound of flesh.

A sharp hiss escaped her lips as her fingers tangled in my hair. I raised my head to look at her, to take in the moment, and her, and Alice used the opportunity to connect our mouths again. My hands slid down the sides of her beautiful body. She began to undo my belt and pants, shoving them down. I did the same until we were both as naked as the days we were born.

I growled as she let out a harsh moan and I plunged my tongue into her mouth again. When my tongue left her mouth, hers entered mine. Flesh to flesh, man to woman, we twined together, seeking satisfaction but only finding a greater craving.

I moved over her, parting her legs which opened willingly, inviting me to share her pleasure.

As I thrust into her, joining us in mind, body and spirit, as we reached the highest of heights together, as we fell asleep in each others' arms, I realized what my purpose was. I was here to love Alice, to hold and protect her, to make her mine. I pulled her against me and fell asleep smiling, the first deep sleep I'd had in five yearsep smiling, the first deep sleep I'd had in five years.


	8. And wake me with the morning light

Finally, I'm updating! Sorry it took so long, I've been really busy doing school stuff and writing down new ideas. I finally got some new ideas for this one, and all my friends who I've forced to see the movies are enthralled. They love the ideas, but you're going to have to wait and read to see what happens. Read and Review!

Alice's POV

I opened my eyes slowly, a smile on my lips as I breathed in. I felt refreshed, like I'd had a deep sleep that I hadn't had in years. I felt happy, calm, complacent, amazingly good-feeling. I stretched and rolled back over, bumping into Carlos. His deep, even breathing made the the blanket rise and fall. I traced the contours of his chest with my finger before snuggling up against him. I relished the chance to snuggle with the man I loved; it wasn't an opportunity I was going to have often, nor had I ever been able to do it. It was an amazing feeling, especially since he was naked. I stretched up to kiss him, feeling him smile against my lips before he grabbed me and rolled us over, pinning me down.

"Good morning." I said before he cut me off with a finger to my lips.

"Shhhh..." He whispered, looking around wildly.

"Carlos, what..." I stopped as I heard it, cming closer at a frightening speed.

A choppy, whipping, whirring sound reached my ears, a helicopter. That could only mean one thing: Umbrella was coming.

To survivors, being ready for action was almost as second nature as breathing. With this preparation bred into us, Carlos and I parted and were dreassed and armed in under a minute. We rolled out of the truck just as a huge metal box was dropped by the hotel, the sound echoing through the empty building.

Claire, guns aimed and ready, moved forward.

"No." I heard myself say aloud, startling Claire.

"We have to see-"

"Get back!" I yelled, sensing the infectants inside the steel container. They weren't normal infectants, nor were they lickers, but they were strong, stronger than average. It was concerning.

The front of the box droped open as two words flashed behind my eyes: _Crimson_ _Heads._

A low growl came from the container as masses of enhanced infectants came rushing out of it.

The children in the bus screamed.

"Holy fuck!" Mikey yelled, drawing the zombies' attention. They charged toward him. He aimed and fired, killing the one in the middle as the five around it were hit with bullets fired by me, L.J., Carlos, Claire and Chase.

And so, it began. The savage growls, the spurting blood, the fiercely bitter scent of the virus, well-blended with blood and agony. I sliced my blade through the throat of a zombie and I heard the voice.

"Shut her down." I stopped, my arms falling to my sides, blood dripping from my weapons as the words echoed through my head. They were controlling me, they planted the zombies here, Umbrella was close. Too close and they were about to see how much that mistake would cost them. I saw the sparks in the sattelite in my mind and my finger twitched and I knew I had broken free.

I turned sharply, slaughtering two zombies with my blades before running toward where I knew _they _were hiding.

"Oh, shit! Shut her down!" Voices yelled from the white tent as I entered and fired three shots. Three bodies fell, leaving the tent silent until the helicopter blades in the background began spinning. I ran out to see Isaacs stumbling into the helicopter, screaming about the anti-virus and nursing a wound on his neck. I aimed, prepared to shoot. I couldn't; the convoy was going to make good use of that helicopter and they needed it intact.

But I could swear I saw familiar, scruffy, black hair blowing in the breeze in the helicopter, flying away. I walked back to the convoy, dreading seeing the damage. Claire was slumped over on the sand, Mikey's hand on her head, stroking her hair as he comforted her. My blood ran cold when I saw the body on the ground in front of them.

Chase, blood still pouring from his lips, huge chunks taken out of his body. Claire, her face tear-stained, looked at me. I froze, fearing her next words.

"They took Carlos." She choked out.

My entire body went numb. I fell to my knees, tears pouring down my face, trying desperately to breathe.

"No, no, no, no," I repeated over and over again, as if my desperate denial could alter the reality of the situation. Strong, muscular arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly.

"Don't cry, Alice." His deep voice said. My head jerked up, almost slamming into his jaw.

"Carlos," I touched his face softly to ensure that he really was there, not just a longed-for figment of my imagination. He smiled, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. There was something different about him, but I couldn't figure out exactly what.

"But, you, you were taken. I saw you." Claire, who was clearly suspicious of the situation, accused.

"Are you sure you were seeing things right through all those tears?" He asked Claire, a soft laugh escaping his beautiful mouth. Everyone else smiled too, glad he was there in spite of the blow we'd received with Chase's death.

"Claire, I've got a way to get the convoy to Alaska." Her startled glance after I said that made me smile.

"Mikey, I'm gonna need you to hack into the computers in this tent, dowload the coordinates of that chopper. We find it, we find Umbrella and the convoy gets saved." I explained; everyone smiled, relieved that we could finally do something.

K-Mart's earsplitting shriek shattered our relief. Chase had risen and sank his teeth into Carlos's arm before receiving a fatal shot to the head from L.J.

"Shit." Carlos said, dropping to the ground. Tears sprang to my eyes again. After all this, the pain, the fear, the agony and, yes, even the love and laughter, I was still going to lose him.

A/N: Sorry if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes; this computer isn't helpful at all in this area and I'm too lazy to read over what I write. It all makes sense to me, you know how it is. So, R&R and maketh my dayeth!


	9. Guide me safely through the lab?

Alice's POV

"Good thing we like a challenge." I said, eyeing the masses of zombies surrounding the seemingly-abandoned shed.

Carlos started coughing, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the sand. I grabbed his hand and leaned my head against his shoulder, trying desperately not to cry.

"Hold on. They have the anti-virus in there. Just hold on." I said.

"It's too late and you know it. Besides, you need a way to get in there and I have an idea." He looked at me, then looked away quickly. I gasped, swearing I saw the Umbrella logo flash in his eyes as he looked away.

At the camp, after he said good-bye to Claire, K-Mart, L.J. and Mikey, he walked over to Chase's tanker.

"Carlos…"

"Save it," He cut me off, "Just promise me one thing. When you get down there…"

"Consider it done." I promised the man who was a tortured shell of Carlos Olivera. To keep myself from crying, I kiss him. He didn't taste like himself, he didn't smell like himself and he drew away from me quickly, looking me deep in the eyes as if he had something important he wanted to get out.

"He's alive, you know." He said. I glanced downward before meeting his eyes, "Yeah, you know who I'm talking about. He's alive. I'm merely a clone, planted here by Umbrella to do their dirty work while they experiment on Carlos. However, those sons of bitches didn't plan on my getting bitten."

I digested this information silently.

"He's being made into an experiment. He thinks about you an awful lot for someone who's unconscious."

"Why are you telling me this, if you're working for Umbrella?" I asked, angry that someone who was basically a shell of Carlos was being put to such use by Umbrella.

"Because I'm a clone of Carlos Olivera, not Hitler. I'm a part of him, so I'm merely reacting the same way he would in this situation. Does he have one of those "hero" complexes?"

I ignored his question and smiled.

"Thank you," I whispered. He grinned even more.

"Anything for someone who's going to bring down Umbrella. My death will be avenged, thanks to you. Save the world, destroy Umbrella. My life is worth that. That's my repayment." He got in the truck, shutting the door behind him.

He drove ahead of us, giving me one last smile before driving at maniacal speed toward the never-ending wall of zombies. He flipped the tanker on its side and a few moments went by before the explosion, a terrible, fiery hero's death. We barely paused long enough to give him a salute before racing forward and crashing into the gate. Claire, L.J. and I jumped out of the Hummer, running toward the other truck where Mikey, K-Mart and the rest of the convoy were rushing out and toward the chopper.

After putting the children and the rest of the survivors into the back, Mikey stepped into the driver's seat and took a long, last look at Claire.

"I'll be back for you." He said to her before kissing her sweetly.

"Go, I'll still be waiting for you." She said, kissing him back. I never missed Carlos more than I did at that moment. A tear slid down my cheek in salute to the Carlos clone, who'd given his life for a virtual stranger that the real him loved.

Only then did it register in my head one of the most important things he'd said: "He's still alive, you know. He's been made into an experiment."

The chopper lifted into the air, dust and sand flying around Claire, K-Mart, L.J. and I as we began walking toward the old building. A flash of red from the ditch running beside it drew my attention, almost calling my name as I changed direction and headed toward it.

Agonized, gasping screams went through my head, phantom pains pierced my stomach and my breathing became unsteady and choked as I stared into the ditch. Familiar pairs of blue eyes stared unseeing through me, drenched in their own blood, my own blood. My own eyes seeing nothing. My own limbs sprawled out in awkward angles.

"Holy shit, those mother-fuckers are gonna get it for this." L.J. said from behind me. I felt Claire's hand on my shoulder.

"Come on. Let's get down there." She said. I could sense her anger at Umbrella, her eagerness to bring them down and her compassion and pity for me.

I didn't want pity; I wanted revenge. Revenge for all the lost lives, for the theft of my humanity, for the theft of all humanity.

Even more than revenge, what I wanted most, I just wanted Carlos back. This time, Umbrella was going down.

K-Mart's POV

It was a freakishly long elevator. I have no idea why Umbrella felt they needed such long elevators.

As the doors opened slowly, Alice, Claire and L.J. cocked their guns and aimed, scanning the perimeter with their eyes. Our eyes were met with total devastation. It was almost completely dark, except for a few back-up lights which always stayed on. Shelves were toppled, glass vials shattered on the floor, wires dropping from the ceiling, shooting sparks.

"What the fuck happened here?" Claire whispered incredulously.

Alice lowered her weapon slowly, her pretty blue eyes searching the room before she closed them momentarily. She was obviously thinking. I shut my eyes when I was thinking, too. It was strange; I'd never seen anyone else do that before, even back when the world was still alive.

Her eyes shot open as she whipped around and pointed her gun at a little girl who appeared to have materialized out of nowhere.

"I didn't mean to startle you." The girl said in an accented voice that reminded me of Mikey, "I am the Artificial Intelligence for-"

"Yeah, I know what you are." Alice said acidly, "I knew your sister. She was a homicidal bitch."

"My sister computer was merely following the most logical path for the preservation of human life." The girl said, not looking insulted at all, but she was a computer; I guess I shouldn't have expected much from her.

"Yeah, kill a few, save a lot." Alice sat down, clearly preparing for a lengthy conversation. Claire, L.J. and I sat down in various places around them.

"What happened here?" Alice asked, looking around.

"Dr. Isaacs returned in an infected state. He was bitten by a creature that had been treated with a newly-developed serum…a serum derived from your blood." The girl spoke seriously, watching Alice closely for her reaction. Alice's face showed surprise and sadness and confusion.

"My blood?"

"Dr. Isaacs correctly deduced that a cure could be made from your blood."

"My blood is the cure for all this?" Alice's eyes sparkled with unshed tears. I leaned against her legs, hugging her around them. She looked at me and smiled softly.

The girl watched us silently.

"You two really are a lot alike. Dr. Isaacs was correct." She said. The four of us stared at her in confusion.

"What? Why would Isaacs be talking about the similarities between Alice and K-Mart?" Claire asked. The girl just smiled.

"Why don't you ask him yourself? The resulting infection from the bite has caused uncontrollable mutation. He went psycho a few hours ago and destroyed the laboratory. I have him contained in the lower levels, but I can't keep him there forever. Get your answers from him if you can before you defeat him. If you have any remaining questions, I will answer them." She said.

"Where's Carlos?" Alice asked, standing up suddenly. The girl seemed delighted she had asked.

"Project Olivera is the lower levels. I couldn't let him out without risking releasing Dr. Isaacs. If he's still alive, he will be down there." Alice turned to head to the doors, the rest of us following her. The girl de-materialized, her face appearing on a computer screen as the doors opened. We walked through and stopped as the girl called, "Good luck!" Then, the doors shut and everything was dark again.

Alice's POV

"Be on the alert." I said, once the doors had closed, "We don't know what's down here."

"What do you mean, where's Carlos? Carlos is dead, Alice. We just saw him die." Claire said forcefully, as if to ensure he was dead to herself.

"That wasn't him, was it?" L.J.'s eyes lit up, "That whole thing was some fucked-up Umbrella project."

"Right. That was a clone of Carlos and before he died, he told me Carlos was alive, brought here to be an experiment."

L.J. jumped up, laughing.

"Son of a bitch, he's alive!" I smiled at L.J.'s exaltation.

"I'd know if he was dead; I'd feel it. However, before we can find him, we'll have to find Isaacs."

"He'll be a pushover for you. I mean, you're you." I grimaced at that.

"Were you not listening, L.J.? He mutated." Claire told him, her voice edging on near-hysteria.

"L.J.," I asked, "Do you remember Nemesis, from Raccoon City?"

L.J. shuddered visibly.

"Unfortunately. Why?" he asked before stark horror became apparent on his face, "No. shit. He can't be worse than that."

"Not just physically worse, either. He's not gonna be under Umbrella control; he's doing this for his own personal gain." I whispered, seeing a greenish glow emanating from a room a little way off. I hushed the group as we walked toward it.


	10. Stark Realization

a/n: yes, guys. This does explain a heck of a lot and sets a base for the rest of the story. Pay Attention to detail!!

Carlos's POV

My eyes shot open suddenly, seeing nothing but white ceiling and blinding white lights.

"Am I dead?" I wondered aloud, my voice echoing back to me. I attempted to sit up before screaming as shards of pain shot through my body. I ripped the needles out of my left arm, then out of the right side of my body and my right arm. It took even more force and will power to yank the two in my head.

I tried to stand up, but promptly fell over, crawling backwards under the bed. I finally managed to stand up unaided; it was then that I realized the blanket that had been covering me had fallen off.

I always seemed to be naked at the most inopportune moments.

I picked the lock and saw my own neatly folded clothes just outside the door. It couldn't really be that easy, could it? No one was around, the lab almost completely dark.

"Damn, how long was I out?" I asked aloud again, as if someone would answer me. I slipped my clothes on, putting my weapons in their proper places, all while keeping a sharp lookout.

"A good agent not only expects the unexpected. A good agent is the unexpected. That's what Umbrella needs; good agents." My former defense tactics instructor had told me years before, back on my first day in Umbrella training. She'd been one of the very few Umbrella-affiliated people I'd actually respected, besides Alice, Jill, Angie and Chris Redfield, an old partner of mine who had disappeared years before after the Raccoon City Incident.

I drew a weapon, holding it in a way that I was prepared for an attack from any side. A greenish glow was casting a light down the hallway. I walked toward it and stepped into the room the glow was emanating from.

A naked woman, her hands strategically placed, was floating in an orb, eyelids fluttering with the little ripples her breathing caused to flow through the water. As I stepped closer, I recognized the form.

It was Alice, naked, cold and alone in an Isolation Tank. My blood boiled with rage. I touched the orb, causing a little stir on the outer wall of the tank.

A huge creature lunged at me from the darkness, knocking me against the tank. Alice's eyes flew open and looked at me, terrified, as the bubble popped and she was poured out of it into my arms.

The creature growled, then shrieked gruesomely as a huge blade was buried in his heart. It ran, leaving a small trail of blood behind it.

Alice was choking and gasping for air in my arms, struggling until she stopped moving completely and her eyelids fluttered closed.

" No!" I gasped, shaking her slightly, "No, don't die on me." She didn't move.

I hung my head over her body and sighed, contemplating my options.

Alice was dead; I couldn't live without her. At that moment, I felt a single teardrop splash on my hand.

Not wanting to believe it was merely water from the tank, I forced my eyes up and they took in square-toed, worn boots, a long, tan overcoat, weapons, wind-swept hair and found themselves staring into the tear-filled eyes of Alice Prospero.

Claire's POV

They stood there and stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Carlos gently laid the Alice clone on the floor and Alice covered her body with her own jacket. Then, Carlos and Alice stared into each other's eyes intently. He stretched out a hand and cupped her chin, tilting her face upward.

For once, even L.J. was silent.

"Oh, my god. It really is you." He whispered gruffly before dragging her into his arms, holding her tight against him like, by doing so, he could prevent the hands of fate from ever dragging her away. I thought of Mikey and glanced over at L.J., who'd only lost the woman he loved a few days before. He was grinning broadly, even as tears streamed down his face.

K-Mart was smiling, too, her brown eyes lighting up like Carlos's when he was happy.

Alice and Carlos drew apart, still not taking their eyes off each other. A clatter from a few rooms over drew their attention.

Both drew their guns, as did L.J. and I. Even K-Mart drew a pistol.

"Where did you get that?" I whispered furiously.

"Hey, she was smart, being armed in an Umbrella facility." Alice defended K-Mart's case, even smiling innocently like K-Mart was apt to do at times. Carlos shot a smile at the three of us, then nodded to L.J., who stalked forward slightly.

We creeped almost silently into a long formal-looking hallway. There was a plastic-covered angel statue against one wall and many crystal chandeliers dangling from the ceiling. A long table stretched along one of the cream-colored walls, holding various intricately-placed knick-knacks.

Carlos and L.J. were both looking at Alice with concern, as she had begun looking around wildly with a an indecipherable looked on her face.

She wandered over to the table, running her fingers over the items, which all seemed familiar to her. She slowed to a stop when she reached a single framed picture. She picked it up, giving me a glance of what seemed to be a wedding picture. I gasped.

It was Alice, looking a little younger than she did now, but I supposed it was because the haunted look of someone who's seen as much as Alice had hadn't set in. Her eyes glittered with happiness, she flashed her ring at the camera, her hair falling gracefully around her bare shoulders. The man looked stunned as he stood there, a sort of smirk on his face, his arm touching Alice's waist. I recognized him; Spence Parks.

"You were married to Spence Parks?" I asked out of curiosity. Alice made a cold, disgusted face.

"Eight years ago. It was a fake, orchestrated by Umbrella to provide a cover for the entrance to the Hive." Something in her voice made me want to pursue the subject.

"Where is he now?"

"Dead." She said simply, with enough acid in her voice to dissolve the entire lab, "He was attacked by a licker in the Hive."

Her last statement was made with a smirk on her face, like she was trying not to laugh. A low growl came from behind us.

"Hello, Program Alice. Welcome Home." We turned toward the source of the menacing voice.

He almost made me retch; he was about seven feet tall and all covered in an overgrown mass of slimy brown skin. His right hand was nothing more than long tentacles and sharp claws.

Alice immediately sprang into action. She kicked him, causing him to stumble back before she sliced the blade in her left hand through his heart. He pulled the blade out, tossing it downward so it stuck straight up from the floorboard.

"I can't die." He growled. I backed away, taking K-Mart with me. The creature glanced our way, a sudden smile making its way across his gruesome features. His tentacle arm shot out toward us, knocking L.J. and Carlos off their feet, shoving me out of the way and wrapping his tentacles around K-Mart before wrenching her back to his side.

"Alicia, I'm surprised you're still alive. Of course, being who you are, I really shouldn't be."

Alice and Carlos both rushed forward, furious and scared.

"My name is K-Mart! Let go of me!" She yelled, struggling against him. She kicked at him, then cracked her elbow into the side of his head, causing him to drop her.

Regaining his composure, he shot his arm toward Alice.

L.J.'s POV

"Shit!" I yelled when the nasty thing's tentacles wrapped themselves around Alice's throat, lifting her off the ground. She struggled, gasping for air, trying to reach the blade stuck in the ground. Her eyes started to glaze over when Carlos reached her, pulling the blade out of the floor and slicing through the tentacles. Alice dropped to the floor, gasping for through her choking coughs.

The beast threw its tentacles forward again, but a barrier between him and Alice stopped him. She threw him back with the force from her mind. He was thrown to the ground, but started laughing.

"I told you. I can't die." He said before gasping.

"I beg to differ." K-Mart said, leaning against the two blades she'd plunged into his back. His arm caught her around the middle and threw her back against the floor. His tentacle arm forced Alice and Carlos down onto the floor across the room, helpless.

"It really is too sweet. You're just like them." He growled.

"Who?" K-Mart's eyes began searching for ways to escape her situation.

"Your parents, of course. You're just like they are. Smart, courageous, simply magnificent in your abilities and strength. You even look like them and have many of the same mannerisms."

"You're talking in the present tense. Both my parents are dead!" K-Mart looked him in the face. I don't know how the hell she could do that; I found him repulsive as hell.

"Oh, no. Your parents are very much alive. I think they'd be proud to call you daughter, Alicia Prospero-Olivera."


	11. Reflection

A/N: Yep, here it is, people, the moment of truth

A/N: Yep, here it is, people, the moment of truth. Any unanswered questions will be answered in the next chapter, but mostly, this chapter is the moment of truth.

Alice's POV

Carlo's eyes widened as he looked at me.

"What?" He whispered, "She's what?"

K-Mart was still on the floor, gaping at Isaacs.

"Your mother makes that same face when she discovers something isn't what she thought." He growled at her.

"Holy shit, you do make that face." Carlos said to me.

Suddenly, the arm that was holding us down was lifted as Isaacs was thrown across the room. K-Mart and Carlos jumped to their feet immediately. I got up quickly, not quite sure what had just happened. All I knew was that I had to get to K-Mart and remove her from the danger zone.

An exact replica of me stepped from the shadows just as Isaacs pulled himself out of the wall.

"I told you; I can't die." He said before roaring so loud, the sound carried my clone through the wall, falling into a tunnel full of lights. She gasped and stumbled back as Isaacs went after her. She attempted to fight back, but her legs collapsed under her.

"Shit, she ran out of energy or something." I heard L.J. whisper furiously to Claire before grabbing K-Mart's arm and pulling her out of the room.

"You're not allowed to get killed. Let them handle the freaky mother-fucker while we search for something to bring him down." I heard him tell her over her protests.

"For so long, I thought you were the future." Isaacs growled as I walked into the tunnel, prepared to end him once and for all.

He turned to look at me, letting me pass him to stand guard over my weakened clone before he smirked and knocked me to the ground in front of him.

"I was wrong; I am the future!" He said before I burst into hysterics.

Carlos's POV

She was laughing at him? Not a choice I would personally have made, but it seemed to work for her.

"No," she said when her laughter came to a halt, "You're just…another asshole. And we're both gonna die down here."

That was all we heard before the door slammed shut. Claire and I ran toward the door and began pounding on it hysterically.

"Alice!" I screamed as I saw the sciencey-beast fall to pieces and crumble to the floor. The floor creaked open and I saw, beyond the dead monster, the sliced and spliced body of Alice.

Claire put her hand on my shoulder.

"It's just her clone. Calm down."

"Are you sure it's just the clone?" I asked, withheld fear making my voice harsh.

"Positive." A voice called from above us as Alice dropped from the vent above the tunnel.

I held my arms out and she stepped directly into them and we wrapped our arms around each other.

"What's our next move?" I asked, my voice muffled by her hair.

"Shouldn't we go get your daughter?" Claire asked. Alice and I broke apart, staring at her.

"You believe that?" Alice asked her.

Claire thought for a moment before answering.

"Yes, yes, I do." She said, looking at our expressions and laughing.

"Oh, come on, she really is just like you two." She said.

"Come again?" I asked.

"well, she looks like ya'll for starters. Alice's hair, face and body.Carlos's eyes, mouth and hands. And then, she acts like you. She has that fearless thing, smart-aleck comments in the face of danger, never-leave-anyone-behind crap from both of you. It's kinda funny."

Alice and I were stunned.

I thought about, realizing Claire was right; K-Mart really was a lot like us. She was as beautiful as Alice, which would be understandable if she was her daughter. And she did have my eyes and that save-everyone-no-matter-what complex. Shit.

We began walking toward the passage we'd come through, all wondering the same thing: How, when, why, but mostly how?

K-Mart's POV

When they walked through the door into the lab, it was like time stopped as the three of us just looked at each other. Then, we all ran straight into each other's arms, like in a cheesy Disney movie. When we finally stopped hugging, we noticed the computer girl I dubbed "White Queen" had joined us.

"I don't mean to interrupt." She said, walking over to stand by Claire and L.J., who both gave her a weird look.

"I take it Dr. Isaacs told you." She looked at the three of us.

"Not all of it," Carlos (Dad?) said, "Is she really?"

"Yes, she is the biological daughter of Carlos Olivera and Alice Prospero."

"When…and how?" Alice (Mom?) asked.

"Do you remember everything before the Hive, Alice?" The White Queen asked her; judging by the look on Alice's face, she didn't.

"I thought not. You were impregnated with sperm from our best agent as both a cover and an experiment. The baby was to provide Umbrella with a "real" family to place at the entrance to the Hive as to squash any doubts the scientists and citizens of Raccoon City had about the manor and its purpose. The baby was born during your brief state of unconsciousness before James "One" Shade's team's arrival at the manor. She was brought to one of our facilities to become a means of testing hormonal genetic enhancement and programming."

"Meaning?" Carlos/Dad asked, looking like he was about to fall over. Alice/Mom grabbed his hand, keeping him steady.

"Meaning, in reality, she is seven years old. Umbrella's genetic enhancement sped up her hormonal growth, aging her twice as fast in little time. Her memories were removed and she was placed with an Umbrella "family" to be observed. Only, no one planned for everyone to die. So, she was lost."

"Why Carlos and Alice?" Claire asked, her gaze seeming to bore a hole into the White Queen.

"They were among our best, brightest and strongest. And afterward, everyone expected Alice to die in the Hive. And after the virus escaped, everyone expected Carlos and Alice to die; no one would ever know what really happened. You make things complicated for Umbrella, you know?"

"Glad I'm doing something worthwhile with my life, but I don't understand." Carlos/Dad sat down, staring at the White Queen.

"We were both slated to die so nothing would hinder the baby's studies. But they instead made me into an experiment and we both survived. K-Mart was lost and her testing halted. And here we are today." Alice/Mom said, smiling gently at him.

"Ah," He said, getting it at last.

I was an experiments; that was so weird. I had mapped out my parents' destinies and they had changed them. And everything was really my fault. Even after all of it, my parents had saved me, when I hadn't been able to save them. That sucked.

As if sensing my thoughts, Mom reach over and took my hand and held it gently.

"Well, the past is past and we're all here now. So, what next?"

a/n: if you have any questions about what just happened, message me to clear things up. Otherwise, you'll never understand the rest of the story. Love ya'll! Please review!


	12. Always expect the unexpected

a/n: Thanks so much for the reviews, guys

a/n: Thanks so much for the reviews, guys. They really make my day. I'd like to dedicate this chapter, as well as chapter thirteen, to my most faithful reviewers, DragonPhoenix16 and x.Redd.Phoenix.Flamez.x.

Alice's POV

"Ow." I said when Claire put the needle into my vein and drew blood.

"Quit complaining. It's for the good of all mankind." She said.

"Then go stick them with needles." I replied, and we both smiled, imagining poking zombies with needles. It was incredibly tempting and amusing.

"Okay, hydrogluo-whatever in place." L.J. said from across the lab. Claire and I looked over at him, nodding our heads to let him know we were all on track.

I looked at Carlos, asleep on the bed. It was his turn to sleep, his and L.J.'s, but, for some reason, L.J. had decided to wait for his next sleep shift. K-Mart was allowed to sleep during either, because, being fourteen, she didn't have the amount of stamina an adult did and couldn't stay up as long. That's what Claire said, anyway; I think K-Mart was proving her wrong, as she stayed up full shifts.

I walked over and sat on Carlos's bed, pushing his hair out of his face. I leaned down and kissed him softly, letting out a small squeal when his arms wrapped around me and dragged me down to him.

"Having fun?" He asked me, laughing. I felt a shudder of excitement go down my spine; his laugh was still sexy as hell.

"If being in your arms with your lips on mine counts as fun, I never want to be bored." I told him. He laughed again.

"But just think of what fun comes out of boredom." He smirked at me. The walkie-talkie clipped to my belt began buzzing before K-Mart's voice crackled through.

"Mama, did you know that scientists seem to enjoy spaghettio's a lot more than ravioli?"

K-Mart had started called me Mama almost right away, staying close to what she called her "southern roots". She called Carlos "Daddy".

The three of us had come to terms with our situation almost immediately. We'd talked to each other and accepted each other for what we were. In the past few days, when we weren't working or asleep, Carlos and I had spent our spare time getting to know our daughter, who's requested to still be called K-Mart. We'd agreed with her request.

"I didn't know they fed on anything other than life-forces, like the soul-sucking leeches those mother-fuckers are." L.J. said from across the room. Carlos, Claire, K-Mart and I laughed.

"Okay, just gained access to the next floor." K-Mart said.

The White Queen's holographic form materialized beside Claire, who jumped.

"Shit! Must you keep doing that?" Claire asked her. The White Queen smiled innocently.

"Well, it is rather amusing. You do have an exceptionally expressive visage. But, on a more important note, I have done a full scan on the floor K-Mart has accessed."

"Any infectants?" Carlos asked, sitting up.

"No infectants. However, there are living beings in there, human."

"Survivors?" L.J. asked, incredulous, "I thought that son of a bitch went homicidal on all the mother-fuckers that worked down here."

"They are not scientists. I believe they are re-animated human bodies Dr. Isaacs used as testing material." The White Queen said, "They're not experiments, nor are they zombies. They're merely living people brought back to be used as bait to lure the Crimson Heads back into captivity after another clone failed the test grid."

Carlos stood up.

"Well, I'm going in." He said, picking up his 9mm and 50 calibur.

"I'm coming with you." Claire and I said at the same time, then looked at L.J.

"You mother-fuckers is crazy if you think I'm staying out here." He said, whipping out his own personalized weapons.

We began walking toward the entrance to the hidden floor, following the White Queen.

Carlos's POV

We walked around the floor, punching in the passwords to open doors and, after checking for any signs of life, shutting them again.

We reached the last doorway in the hall. We stood and stared at it for a moment before I punched in a password. Nothing happened. I punched it in twice more. Access was still denied.

"shit." I said. Alice stepped forward and punched a different combination of numbers into the keypad. The "Access Granted" flashed and the door swung open, revealing four people, alive, ready for a life-or-death-battle, people I never thought I'd see again.

Claire, who was standing in front of the door, received the first words.

"Who the fuck are you?" Jill Valentine asked.

a/n: Uh, oh, what's gonna happen now? Don't know why I'm asking y'all; I already know what's gonna happen. Read and review, like always!!


	13. Alcoholics Anonymous

a/n: Okay, this is a warning; I'm not posting another chapter 'til I get ten reviews from ten different people

a/n: Okay, this is a warning; I'm not posting another chapter 'til I get ten reviews from ten different people. Let that be a warning. But, again, dedication to DragonPhoenix16 and x.Redd.Phoenix.Flamez.x. You guys are amazing, totally my rocks through the story. Ya'll kept it going.

Jill's POV

"Claire Redfield. Who the fuck are you?" The woman with the red-blonde straight hair replied.

"You don't need to know if you don't already, you Umbrella son of a bitch!" I said.

"Claire?" Chris Redfield's incredulous voice sounded from behind me, "Is that really you?"

Claire peered into the room.

"Chris?" She asked. I looked at him in time to see an overjoyed smile cross his face before he reached the woman and spun her around, hugging her.

A twinge of something that felt like jealousy and annoyance passed through me inexplicably. I don't know why I would feel jealous that Chris was hugging another woman.

"Who the fuck are they?" Betty asked from beside me. I peered toward the door to see four other people, as well as a little girl that looked holographic.

"Alice!" Angie yelled, running toward the door.

"Angela Ashford, get back here!' I yelled at her, hoping she'd turn back before it was too late.

"But Jill, it's Alice!" She yelled, flinging herself into the arms of a woman who's features I couldn't see. They stepped into the light and I could fully see both of them.

She stood there, wavy strawberry-blonde hair framing her face, aqua-blue eyes looking straight at me, a smile plastered on her face.

"Jill!" She yelled. I laughed, walking toward her and Angie quickly.

Suddenly, Carlos Olivera, L.J. Wayne and a teenaged girl entered the room.

"L.J.?" Betty's voice asked from behind me. I looked at her, confused.

"Betty?" I could swear L.J.'s eyes glimmered with tears as she ran into his arms.

I couldn't believe this; we'd been braced to attack Umbrella agents as soon as they entered the room. What we got was definitely not what we expected.

Chris's POV

I don't know why Jill was looking at me like I was the anti-christ while I hugged Claire.

"Oh, thank God, you're alive." I whispered to my little sister.

She stepped back, tears threatening to spill from her eyes that had always been so bright and full of life; five years in this world had banished that.

"Chris?" A deep voice called from close by, sounding disbelieving. I looked over to find whoever had spoken. My eyes were met by Carlos Olivera's grinning face.

"Olivera, you conniving son of a bitch!" I yelled happily before we hugged. Carlos was the one dude I would never feel uncomfortable hugging. My fomer fellow U.B.C.F. commander pulled back.

"Where've you been?" I asked him, "I thought you died in Raccoon!"

"I had a little help escaping." He said, looking at the woman who was talking to Jill and embracing Angie at the same time. She was gorgeous, and, from the way Carlos was looking at her, I knew he was long gone.

"Who are they?" I asked him.

"That's L.J.," He pointed to the man embracing Betty.

"That's Claire, as you obviously know." He laughed; he'd known Claire and me since Carlos's and my first day at Umbrella training.

"That's Alice," He gazed at the woman I was positive he was in love with. He was smiling at her with tenderness, a dead giveaway.

"And that's K-Mart." He gestured to the teenaged blonde girl looking at L.J. and Betty with a smile on her face. I did a double take; her smile was nearly identical to Carlos's

Angie's POV

She still had that same scent she'd had years before, that same entrancing, bittersweet scent of the virus coupled with her own natural scent. It was extremely comforting being back in the soft embrace of the only woman I'd ever thought of as a mother. Jill, I thought of more as a big sister, or an aunt. I let go of Alice and surveyed my surrounding, like Jill and Carlos had taught me after Alice had disappeared. L.J. and Betty apparently knew each other, very well, I'd guess, judging by their tears and whispered words to each other. I looked over at Chris and saw him talking to the woman he'd called Claire and, standing next to him, was-

"Carlos!" I yelled jubilantly, running to him and throwing myself in his arms.

"Angie!" He laughed, picking me up and spinning me around.

I saw Betty come over and hug Claire. Alice, Jill, L.J. and the blonde girl walked over to us.

"Okay, intro circle?" Claire looked at us as she spoke. We all looked at her, not quite understanding. She sighed.

"Go around the circle, introduce yourself and tell your story. Gets the point across quicker." Betty explained in what I had come to think of as her customary way.

"Anyway, I'm Betty, I'm 32 years old, I'm a trained and certified nurse, I was killed a few weeks ago by infected crows and brought back to Umbrella to be used as bait for their super-zombies. And this is my honey, right here." She leaned over and kissed L.J. Everyone awwwed.

"Yo, I'm L.J. and right now, I feel like I'm in an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting." Everyone laughed, "I'm a Raccoon City survivor, I have no training in anything whatsoever, but I've survived this long, so that's gotta be in my favor. I'm great with guns and I'm dang cute, so those are plusses." Everyone laughed again. I'd missed L.J.'s humor.

"I'm Jill, also a Raccoon survivor. I'm a former S.T.A.R.S. cop, and I'm one of the alleged Umbrella traitors that turned in the Raccoon tape. I died, but I'm here know, alive and uninfected, so, I guess that's something." I saw a few proud looked shot at Jill from around the group.

"I'm Claire Redfield. I led my own convoy and recently got them to a safe place in Alaska. I was studying law when the world ended, but I guess that's not helpful now. And this is my big brother." Chris smiled at her and I could swear I saw a relieved look on Jill's face.

"I'm Chris Redfield, also no longer dead, but still uninfected. I'm a former Umbrella agent; I was in charge of an Umbrella Biohazard Containment Squad that tried to contain the infection after Umbrella. I lost a lot of friends in those day, including Carlos Olivera, who trained me and was moved into the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Force to lead our own teams with me." He said. By this point, we were all wondering what we all didn't know about each other.

"I'm Angie Ashford," I said, receiving a couple of curious looks from people who, undoubtedly, had heard of me, "My daddy created the t-virus and I was the original recipient. However, he died in Raccoon City and Alice, Carlos, Jill and L.J. saved me from my school and we all got out of the city right before its detonation. The virus overtook me a few weeks later and I died. When I woke up, I was here and scientist told me not to worry, I was all better and I'd never have to inject myself again." I finished. Alice, Jill, Carlos and L.J. were smiling at me, but their eyes looked distant. They were probably reminiscing about their own experiences. Carlos cleared his throat.

"Carlos Olivera, alleged Umbrella traitor that was the other person who turned in the Raccoon tape. I was the leader of the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Force in Raccoon; I was the only one to survive. Well, besides Chris, but he got out before they closed the bridge, apparently," Chris looked smug and sad at the same time, "I'm well-trained with weaponry, defense tactics and the woman I love is standing next to me, so I'm happy." He smiled and wrapped his arm around Alice's waist. About time those two got together. I saw Betty staring at Alice, obviously wondering when Carlos got a girlfriend. She almost looked proud of him.

"Finally. We were wondering if you were ever gonna be happy." She said. Carlos smiled.

"Well, wondering's over." Betty leaned back against L.J., obviously satisfied.

"I'm Alice Prospero, also known as Project Alice," I heard a couple of gasps from Chris and Betty, who'd probably heard rumors, "I was the head of security at a secret, high-tech facility called The Hive. I was there when the virus broke out, then I was made into an Umbrella Bio-weapon. I'm an excellent fighter, great with weaponry, I have telekinetic powers and, an added bonus, my blood's the cure to the t-virus. Who knew?" She laughed, "This is the love of my life," She gazed toward Carlos, "And this is our daughter." She gestured to the blonde girl beside her.

I looked at the girl again, seeing things I'd missed before. She did look eerily like Carlos and Alice. I saw that Alice's last statement had been met with looks of stark disbelief and confusion from everyone except L.J. and Claire, who I assumed already knew. The girl began speaking.

"I'm K-Mart. I'm an Umbrella experiment for genetic programming and hormonal growth. I'm fourteen physically, but seven technically. Carlos and Alice are my biological parents. I'm cool with weapons and I have a little bit of my parents' skills, according to Claire, but not nearly as much as they do. And the best part, I only found all this out three days ago." She finished, then smiled at the smattered laughter. There was a lot of warmth in that room; we all liked each other immediately. That was rare for a roomful of strangers. I decided I liked K-Mart; she reminded me a lot of her parents.

"I'm Mikey Cameron," A voice announced from the door, "And all I know is that Claire Redfield better be in my arms in the next ten seconds."

a/n: REVIEW!!1


	14. Bad day

a/n: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter

a/n: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I asked for ten reviews; I got eleven in three days. I love you guys. Enjoy!

Claire's POV

It's been a pretty tearful day. Alice, Carlos and L.J. all met up with old friends they were overjoyed to know were alive, I'd found my brother and Mikey'd returned at last.

I looked over at Alice, L.J., Chris and Jill, who were working on the serum which would destroy the virus for good. Chris leaned over to hand something to Jill, their fingers brushing slightly. I smirked; my brother might have a few problems on his hands, I thought, but never had a simple crush managed to make him smile like that. I knew it before he did; he was in love.

Thinking of love, I looked at Mikey, who was in the corner talking to K-Mart, Carlos and Angie. His wild hand gestures as he told them stories made them laugh.

Betty was playing with something in the corner of the lab. I walked over, curious. Scattered on the countertop around her were several dozen shiny discs. I recognized them for what they were immediately.

"CD's?" I asked, picking one up and flipping it over. Britney Spears. I was disgusted.

"Yeah. I found them in this cabinet. I'm trying to find out how to work this CD player." Betty informed me. I started laughing disbelievingly.

"I know, right? It's a disturbing image." She said.

"What's a disturbing image?" Mikey's voice asked from behind me before he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close.

"Scientists busting it to 'Hit Me Baby One More Time'." Betty said, then slapped the CD player, "Stupid bitch won't turn on."

Mikey started laughing.

"What? You can get it to work, techno-boy?" Betty glared at him.

"It doesn't take a genius to plug in a radio," He laughed, "It's not exactly rocket science."

"What the-" Betty followed the cord to the unplugged end, "Motherfucker." She plugged it into the nearby outlet.

Flipping the switch to turn the CD player on, she opened it and put a CD in. "Until the Day I Die" by Story of the Year began playing. The loud music filled the lab, drawing the attention of everyone else in the lab.

Alice and L.J. came walking toward us, their faces looking pale and defeated.

At that moment, I suddenly got scared. This couldn't be good.

"The serum didn't work." Alice whispered and all our greatest fears were realized.

K-Mart's POV

Spirits were low. Everyone seemed depressed, even the White Queen. We sat around, listening to the scientists' CDs. Everyone's good humor was lost; even Mikey, our perpetual optimist, hadn't smiled in days.

"This is so depressing." I whispered to Angie, who nodded. I looked out at everyone else in the room. Jill was playing with her gun, unloading it, then reloading it. Chris was watching her movements, his expression guarded so I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Angie was braiding Betty's long hair, while Betty rearranged her medical kit to fit in the supplies she'd found since we'd found her.

L.J. had a pen and a piece of paper and was randomly doodling guns. He'd, for as long as I'd known him, had an obsession with guns, but he was good with them.

Mikey was leaned up against a counter, typing something on a laptop. Claire was on the small bed in the corner, counting ceiling tiles, very lethargic. Mama was slumped against a wall, attempting to sleep, but her eyes kept opening and she looked around, as though expecting something to attack. With her life, though, I guess she would be rather paranoid.

Daddy was nearby, looking through the CDs. He kept looking at Mama, meeting her eyes when she opened them, looking both relieved and sad when she closed them. Even he no longer had a smile to spare and had spent much of the past three days whispering with Mama and the two of them had frequent conversations with the White Queen.

Looking at everyone's drawn, hopeless faces, I snapped.

"What's the matter with you people?!" I yelled, jumping to my feet, suddenly outraged. Everyone's expressions turned to those of shock and confusion.

"What do you mean?" Chris asked.

"So, the first serum didn't work. Does that mean you're just going to give up?"

I swear I saw a small smile on Daddy's face and even Mama had woken up to stare at me with an unreadable expression that almost looked like pride.

"There's a whole world out there to save and you guys are acting like this is the end of the world!" I yelled at them.

"K-Mart, the world already ended." L.J. felt the need to tell me.

"Don't be a smart-ass, L.J.!" I growled at him.

"She's right, you know," Angie said, "It's like we're giving up on the world."

"We have been acting like we're five-year-olds that didn't get their way. We need to act like adults. K-Mart and Angie are; the rest of us kinda suck at life." Betty said.

"Thanks, Betty," Claire smirked, "I feel like such a failure at life, now. I'm gonna go swallow razor blades."

Everyone laughed before standing up and talking to each other with more exuberance than they'd exhibited in days.

L.J. put "We Will Rock You" by Queen on and Angie and I began dancing around, quickly being joined by everyone else.

"You got mud on your face, you big disgrace, We're kicking your can all over the place!" L.J., Chris, Daddy and Mikey sang, their deep voices echoing through the room. Angie and I laughed and I leaned back against the cabinet, missing and falling.

A sharp pain shot through my arm as dark red blood began oozing from a slice a little above my wrist.

"Ooh, girl, that's pretty nasty. Let's clean that up." Betty said as the celebration came.

Betty opened her medical kit and took out a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. She began cleaning my cut with it, my wound bubbling as the peroxide killed all the bacteria around it.

Out of the sea of concerned faces, I saw Mama's incredulous face staring at my arm.

"That's it." She whispered. Everyone turned to look at her.

"What's what?" Jill asked her, confused.

"That's it," Mama pointed to my arm, "The cure to the T-Virus."

a/n: bum bum bum…..I think I liked that review thing last time. I'm gonna do at least 7 this time, just to make it easy on y'all. Seven reviews 'til the next post!


	15. Committed in more ways than one

a/n: Thanks soooo much for the reviews last chapter, guys

a/n: Thanks soooo much for the reviews last chapter, guys! I love hearing from y'all. It makes my day brighter! So, here's the next chapter. And yes, my muses thank you, too.

Carlos's POV

"That's absolutely brilliant!" The White Queen yelled, her child-like excitement showing through her holographic exterior. Alice smiled at her, practically glowing in her happiness.

"Okay, explain this whole thing to me again." L.J. said, rubbing his temples and looking at the giant vat of the cure to the T-Virus. Betty rubbed his shoulders, smiling lovingly at him. He rubbed her hand and smiled back; they would be acting this way, judging on what I walked in on last night. I think I need therapy now.

Alice, with her everlasting patience, told him.

"Basically, hydrogen peroxide kills all the germs in a wound. The T-Virus is like a giant germ; the peroxide combined with my blood travels through the bloodstream, killing the T-Virus."

I saw K-Mart smile. I almost think she was proud she'd gotten hurt because it led to Alice's discovery.

"Carlos," Mikey's voice broke into my thoughts, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

He sounded anxious.

"What's up, Mikey?" I asked him, once we were a sufficient distance away from everyone else.

"Something's up." He said, glancing over at Claire and Alice, who were having a whispered discussion with Jill.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I think something's wrong with Claire and Alice." I stared blankly at him. I noticed L.J. sneaking glances at us from his position by Betty, who'd joined in on the women's discussion; I immediately grew suspicious.

"Hey, L.J.!" I yelled across the lab, drawing everyone's attention so he couldn't pretend he didn't hear me.

"Come on, we're going to the bathroom!" I yelled at him. We all had to go to the bathroom in groups, just in case. Umbrella labs weren't exactly safe; it wasn't a petting zoo, it was an underground testing facility full of God-knows-what.

"Can't you take Mikey with you?" He asked, trying to find a way out of my interrogation. He wasn't stupid; he knew what was coming. But I knew his weak points.

"But Mikey sucks with guns. I need someone else who can actually pull a trigger." I told him, ignoring Mikey's dirty look at me. L.J. was always easily flattered and walked over to us. We hurried from the room before he came to his senses and remembered I was going to interrogate the hell out of him.

Shoving him into a random room where we were sure we wouldn't be heard, we pounced.

"Alright, Wayne, what's going on?" Mikey asked sternly. It was odd that that worked for Mikey.

"Nothing." L.J. replied much too quickly. My suspicions that something was wrong were definitely confirmed. It was aggravating being right.

"L.J., you know something and I want to know what it is." Mikey tried again. L.J. relented a little.

"Betty did mention something about Alice and Claire being a little sick, but it's not biggie." He paused; I knew he wasn't telling the whole truth. I decided to pull out my next tack. It really pays to be a nice guy with a big heart sometimes.

"L.J.," I started, turning his attention to me, "You're my best friend. You know something's wrong with the woman I love and you won't tell me."

He looked stricken, like I knew he would, so I continued.

"I love Alice and I'm scared," His eyes widened as I said this, "I don't think I could live without her. My own best friend won't tell me what's wrong."

L.J. looked ready to cry and even Mikey was looking at me in moist-eyed incredulity.

"If it was Betty, you'd want me to tell you, right?" I asked him, pleading for him to see what was going though my head.

The dam burst and tears streaked down his cheeks. He met my eyes for a brief moment before telling me, "She's pregnant. They both are."

I'd be the world's biggest liar if I said that didn't stun me.

"Claire is what?!" Chris's voice half growled, half roared from the doorway. Mikey looked at him, his expression going from one of wonder to one of fear.

Chris was glaring straight at Mikey.

"I hope you know," He said, eerily calm, like right before a storm, "That I'm going to brutally murder you now."

"Are you threatening me?" Mikey asked, his eyes narrowing in anger.

"Threatening, promising, it's all just a step away from committing." Chris said, stepping forward into the room. L.J. stepped between the two.

"Listen, you stupid mother-fuckers!" He yelled, sounding much more like the L.J. I knew, "That don't matter. We got a problem bigger than this. We've got two pregnant women and we've gotta save the world. Shit, we got two pregnant women and two kids already. So, just get the fuck over yourselves and figure out what the hell we're supposed to do."

At this point, I left the three to think and talk. I just wanted to see Alice.

After being separated for six years, it hurt to even be apart for a few minutes.

I entered the room we'd all been staying in, seeing Alice's eyes light up upon my entrance. It was almost worth leaving the room just to be able to see that when I came back in.

Betty and Jill were asleep in the corner of the room, Angie between them, also asleep. Alice was talking to K-Mart on the other side of the room. I saw K-Mart hug her before backing away so Alice and I could talk alone.

I leaned against the counter and stared at her, never wanted to stop. She wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing her body against mine. I pulled her close and kissed her neck.

"I'm pregnant with your babies. Again." She whispered in my ear. I bit her earlobe and growled, "Yeah. Hey, that's right, again."

I kissed her lips this time. Then, the other shoe dropped.

"Babies?"

Alice's POV

He was stunned. He pulled back and stared at me.

"Babies?" He asked again.

"Yes." I replied, smiling slightly.

"As in more than one? Plural?" He babbled, looking at my stomach.

"Yes. That is the normal assumption for babies. That there's more than one, I mean."

"More than one? As in, plural?"

"Did we not just go over this?" I snapped playfully, enjoying the stream of emotions playing across his face.

"How many?" He asked me.

"Just two, thankfully." I told him. He laughed, pulling me close again before kissing me.

Mikey's POV

I put my hand on her stomach and stared into her eyes, falling into their hazel depths.

"God, I love you." I told her, kissing her. She smiled against my mouth.

"So, good news. I'm going to be a daddy and your brother's not going to slaughter me." I told her, making her smile.

"I love you, Mikey." Claire whispered, kissing me again.

I was really looking forward to fatherhood.

a/n: Okay, I'm aiming for eight reviews this time, just out of sheer boredom. But there's more coming as soon as I get my reviews!! maniacal laughter


	16. Which would YOU rather?

Jill's POV

a/n: I'm not gonna ask for a specific number of reviews this time. I'm too excited for the next chapter! Ah!!

Jill's POV

We were finally leaving. After weeks underground preparing for battle, we were leaving.

Everyone was packing up, gathering all the food, water, clothing, weapons and ammo we could find. We'd been doing this for two days, going around, finding anything useful.

Passing a bathroom, I backtracked and went in to grab necessities, like toilet paper. I was greeted with the unmistakable sound of puking in one of the stalls.

"You okay, Claire?" I called out once it'd stopped. I heard her sigh as she stood up and flushed the toilet. The lock clicked as she slid it open and she stumbled out of the stall, her face flushed.

"I guess. I just didn't expect this." She said softly. I smiled in sympathy.

"It could be worse." I told her, making an attempt at being optimistic. To my surprise, she started laughing.

"You're right. I could be Alice!" She laughed. The door shut behind me and I whirled around to see Alice glaring at Claire.

In just the few short weeks since the pregnancy announcements were made, Alice's stomach had already ballooned enough not to need an announcement. Standing there with her pregnancy belly, hands on her hips and glaring at Claire, she looked like the stereotypical redneck.

"Move it, Redfield, I gotta pee!" She growled. She rushed into the stall, ignoring Claire's hysterical peals of laughter.

"You see what I mean, Jill? I'd rather puke every once in a while than have to pee every five seconds." She managed to tell me through her laughter.

"I'd rather have to pee than remain in the company of someone who's pregnant with the baby of a guy who's guts her brother absolutely loathes." Alice said to her from in the stall. I started laughing; I couldn't help it. It was too funny because Chris glared at Mikey everytime he got too close to Claire.

"Yeah, well, at least I'm not pregnant with the twins of a guy who's best friend is L.J." Claire shot back.

"Well, you love Mikey, who's best friend is Carlos, who's best friend is L.J., making Mikey and L.J. best friends by osmosis!" Alice defended her position.

"Touche." Claire laughed.

"I've got you both beat. I'm not pregnant with anyone's baby." I told them with mock smugness.

"Not for long." Alice said, flushing and coming out of the stall. I looked at her, confused.

"Oh, please, Jill," Claire cut in, "It's so obvious you and Chris are in love."

I gaped at her, not believing what I was hearing. Alice was smirking at me.

"Yep, wouldn't surprise me if, soon enough, there was a little baby Valentine-Redfield." With that, Alice left the room.

Claire was laughing at me this time.

"Yep, I knew it. Someone's in looooovvvvveeeee."

"Mature." I tried to fight back.

"Deny it all you want, but it's a pretty safe bet to say he loves you, too." I couldn't speak. She rolled her eyes and left the room.

I walked into each of the stalls, starting to gather toilet paper, distracted by what they'd said.

Did I really love Chris? I honestly didn't know. I envied Betty, for her and L.J.'s light relationship. I envied Claire, because she and Mikey were so sweet and obviously adored each other. I especially envied Alice and Carlos; I'd seen them fall in love and I knew they were soul mates. I'd set my romantic standards to what Alice and Carlos had. I wanted to lose my breath everytime he walked in the room, I wanted him to look at me and instantly know something was wrong, someone I could laugh and talk with, someone that I could love and not be afraid that they wouldn't love me back.

I dropped a roll of toilet paper as it hit me.

I was in love with Chris Redfield.

And I had no idea what to do.

Chris's POV

"Hmmm...cream of wheat?" I asked Carlos, handing him a can. He made a disgusted face.

"I thought we were going to save the world, not kill ourselves with disgusting food." He said, making me laugh.

"Alice, where are you going?" L.J. yelled as Alice ran by him.

"I gotta pee!" She yelled, continuing down the hall. L.J. and Mikey burst into hysterics.

"Damn, boy, I'm surprised she doesn't hate you yet." Betty said, approaching from the same direction Alice had come from.

"What do you mean?" Carlos asked.

"You knocked her up. So, it's your fault she has to pee so much," Betty said, "It's the extra weight. But she looks beautiful."

Carlos nodded, but smiled.

"It's okay if she hates me. I love her, anyway. And she's always beautiful." He said with a lovestruck look on his face.

"Boy, you are so whipped!" L.J. laughed.

"So are you." Betty stared him down.

"Yep." He smiled at Betty, who, obviously satisfied, continued on down the hall.

"God," I said, shaking my head, "Y'all are so whipped." The three of them looked at me.

"Awww..." L.J. shook his head and smiled, "Look at the white boy pretending he ain't in love." The three of them began laughing at me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked them.

"Well, it's completely obvious that you're ass-over-gun in love with Jill." Mikey said. I stared at him, trying to remember why I hated his guts and shouldn't listen to him.

"I know what love is," He defended before I could make a comment, "Because I love Claire, from four years ago until the end of time, so you can shut up about that. But you love Jill, Chris, just like I love Claire, like L.J. loves Betty, like Carlos loves Alice and like Angie loves that Destiny's Child CD we found."

"I do love that CD." Angie cut in from behind us.

"Daddy, we need your help." K-Mart told Carlos. He nodded almost inperceptively toward Mikey and L.J. on his way down the hall after Angie and K-Mart.

"Just think about that." L.J. said before walking off after them.

"And don't deny it. You'd only be lying to yourself." Mikey felt necessary to point out before leaving as well.

I hated it when people did stuff like that.

Especially because I knew they were right.

a/n: review anyway, por favor. The faster you click the review button, the faster the next chapter is posted. You see the logic in the situation.


	17. So, we meet again

a/n: Thanks to those who reviewed last chapter

a/n: Thanks to those who reviewed last chapter. This is my favorite chapter yet! But that's because I know what happens. Read and Review, please!

That first burst of fresh air after weeks underground was like the first breath of life. I'd been afraid that we'd immediately be attacked by zombies as soon as the door was opened, but Alice had just smiled at me and told me she'd taken care of it.

I didn't understand what she'd meant until I got a good look around the vicinity of the gates. Hundreds of bodies lay still on the gates. Hundreds of bodies lay still on the ground, baking under the hot sun.

"The virus is being destroyed now. In a few days, they'll be completely healed." Alice told me.

"How did you...but...how?" I stuttered.

"Vents work wonders, babe!" Jill walked by, guns ready, a bright smile on her face illuminated by the sunlight. She looked beautiful with her raven hair grown out to brush her shoulder blades. Chris stared as she walked by him. The sunlight brought out the red-blond of his and Claire's hair, making them appear almost angelic. Angel's that have been through Hell and back.

L.J., Carlos and Alice looked exhausted; I guess that would be expected seeing as they were the ones that had been through the most, especially Alice.

Her eyes were glowing with happiness as she looked around at the bodies on the ground. She wrapped her arms around K-Mart and hugged her, K-Mart hugging her mother back. They both looked so proud, standing there with the same pose, their blond hair glinting in the brightness. Carlos walked and hugged both of them, picking them up and making them laugh as he carried them to the vehicle we would be traveling in.

He put them in the back and began piling supplies around them.

"Yo, Carlos, quit goofing off and let's blow this popsicle stand!" Chris yelled to him, sliding on his sunglasses.

Alice and K-Mart got out of the truck and we all began loading it with supplies.

"Okay, who's in the truck and who's in the Hummer?" Betty asked.

"We have..." Jill stopped to count how many people we had, "Ten people."

"We can switch every so many miles, but, for now, I call driving the Hummer!" Claire took off toward the Hummer.

"I call driving the truck!" L.J. called out.

"I'm with L.J." Carlos said simply, looking around.

"And I'm with Carlos." Alice said, thinking, "Okay, the Hummer has four seats and the truck fits, at most, eight, but it's full of supplies, so right now, it can probably hold six."

"So, L.J., Carlos, Alice...truck, Claire...Hummer." Mikey said.

"Yep." Claire replied.

"Then I am, too." He smiled at her.

"Me, too." Chris snarled.

"I'm with my parents!" K-Mart yelled.

"I'm with K-Mart!" I yelled. Jill and Betty looked at each other.

"I'll stop Chris from killing Mikey. You make sure Carlos and L.J. don't scar the kids for life." Betty told Jill before they went in their separate directions.

Alice handed Claire and Chris walkie-talkies and took two for her and someone else.

We all loaded in the vehicles, turning on the adjoining radios.

"Ready?" Claire's voice crackled through the radio.

"To Rumble?" L.J. yelled, turning the key in the ignition, drowning out the whoops from Carlos and Jill. Alice smiled, high-fiving Jill as the vehicle began moving.

We were finally leaving, finally going to bring down Umbrella.

K-Mart began humming Superman music and I joined her as we finally took off across the desert.

Claire's POV

"L.J., go to a A.A. meeting so you don't get taken in under DUI charges." I said through the radio, eliciting a laugh from Betty. Mikey and Chris were both asleep in the backseat.

"I'm not drunk! Jill's driving me nuts!" L.J. yelled through to us. We could hear Jill and Alice cackling in the background.

"What are y'all doing over there?" Bety asked.

"Well, baby, I'm attempting to drive, Carlos is trying to get the truck's CD player working," We heard Carlos mumbling bad words, "And Jill and Alice are making explicit and extremely pervy jokes while the kids are asleep."

Alice and Jill laughed again.

"Jill?" Chris mumbled sleepily from the backseat.

"Chris!" Jill yelled above Alice and L.J.'s laughter, "How'd you know it was me?"

He snickered.

"That maniacal laughter is unforgettable."

I heard Alice say something and Jill's angry reply, which was, "Yeah, bite me, Prospero!"

Carlos chuckled softly.

I pulled over to the side of the road we were on, turning off the Hummer.

L.J. pulled in behind me. We all got out of the vehicles, except for Mikey, K-Mart and Angie, who were asleep.

"Yeah, let techno-boy sleep." Chris sneered, making me angry.

"Christopher, shut the fuck up!" I yelled at him, watching his eyes widen with shock, " He does a hell of a lot and I'm sick of you belittling him. Grow the fuck up and get over yourself!"

Chris stared at me, looking confused, scared and sad. We'd always gotten along perfectly, but his picking on and insulting Mikey had finally snapped my patience. Three weeks in a car with your brother and your boyfriend who hate each other will do that to a person.

"Yeah, Chris, quit being an ass." Jill said, and just like that, I knew chris would never insult Mikey to my face again. He was so whipped, he'd do whatever Jill wanted him to.

"Where are we?" K-Mart asked, jumping out of the back of the truck, Angie following her. Mikey shot up, looking around wildly.

"Alice, are you okay?" Carlos asked, drawing our attention to her.

She seemed lost in a trance, though her eyes jerked around, looking at our surroundings.

"No," She gasped out, "No, why here? Here, of all fucking places?"

I was confused; so was everyone else, judging by the variety of confused looks.

"Um, what's so bad about here?" K-Mart asked her mother.

"Yeah, it looks nice." Angie stated.

And it did, too. Comparing it to all the other small towns we'd stayed in during the past three weeks, even the past seven years, it was the nicest by far. The stores were still moderately clean, the streets less bloodstained and creepy than others had been. And, best of all, in the gas station across the street, I could clearly see them.

Cigarettes. And beside them, shelves and shelves of food.

"I'm in love with this place already." I said, making Alice frown even more.

"So," Mikey said, trying to change the subject so he wouldn't be confused, "Where are we going to stay tonight?"

"There." Jill said, pointing to a very large white house on the top of a hill.

"Great. We would stay there, wouldn't we?" Alice growled under her breath.

I don't know what she was complaining about, frankly. It was a beautiful house. It was huge with a wraparound porch. The walls were slightly dirty and the yard overgrown and mess, but in this day and age, it wasn't uncommon.

"Where the hell are we, anyway?" L.J. asked in typical L.J. fashion.

"We're in Abernathy, Wyoming." Alice said before sighing.

"Why does Abernathy sound familiar?" Carlos asked, looking deep in thought.

Alice crawled back in the truck, turning the key in the ignition to drown out the questions.

"Well, are we going up there or not?" She asked in a resigned tone.

Riding up to the house, I wondered what was going on. Alice had an aversion to the entire town and none of us could figure out why.

We pulled up outside the house and got out. We aimed our guns and began walking toward the house cautiously, all except Alice, whl just stood and stared at it. Carlos put his arm around her, bringing her out of her private reflection.

We entered the house, guns aimed and ready. It was dark inside, the curtains drawn over the windows. Dust covered most surfaces and the multiple knick-knacks that littered the shelves and walls. L.J., Chris, K-Mart, Angie and Betty went upstairs, while Mikey, Jill, Carlos, Alice and I continued to scout out downstairs. Alice and Jill went into the kitchen, while Mikey, Carlos and I went into the living room.

After checking around the furniture, I began looking at the pictures on the wall. A family portrait above the television depicted a family of six; four children and their parents. The baby, who was a boy, looked happy in his mother's arms. The mother looked radiant and eerily familiar. The man next to her, the father, looked angry and creepy, his older son looked mischievious and his older daughter had the same expression as the boy on her face. The younger daughter looked pseudo-happy. You could practically feel the tension rolling off of her.

"That chick needs to get the stick out of her ass." Mikey said from behind me. Carlos seemed to be staring at the older girl.

"Why does she look so familiar?" He questioned.

I heard a gun click behind me and slowly turned to see the man from the picture aiming his gun straight at Carlos's head.

"Why don't you tell me?" The man asked, " I want to know how you know my daughter before I kill you."

"Hello, father,' Alice's low voice echoed creepily from the doorway, "I'm home."

a/n: evil, maniacal music playing in the background Please Review.


	18. Color me shocked

a/n: Okay, this is a really messed up chapter

a/n: Okay, this is a really messed up chapter. But you have to read it to understand the rest of the story. This is truly the story of Alice's life. Enjoy and please, if you're going to run screaming from the room, don't let it be so loud that I can hear you. Oh, warning, this is not a chapter for those who get disturbed easily. Don't read if you're creeped out/disgusted/mentally disturbed easily. And now, on with the story!

Alice's POV

The look on his face as I spoke almost made me puke. He looked angry, astonished…and creepy, just like he always had. He stood up and lowered his gun.

"Alice." He whispered, starting to walk toward me.

"Alice?" A deep voice called from the room next to the living room, the dining room, as I remember, before a man ran into the doorframe. I peered at him, recognizing his at once.

"Charlie!" I called, opening my arms for him to hug me. My twin brother had grown some since the last time we'd seen each other.

"Whoa, I gotta watch the merchandise!" He laughed, placing his hand on my stomach.

"Who's the father?" He still alive?" He asked. I smirked at him.

"Yep. And guess what. It's twins." I told him, watching the laughter flare up in his eyes again.

"Yes!" He threw his fist in the air.

"And this is the father and the love of my life, Carlos Olivera." I threaded my fingers through Carlos's and he smiled at Charlie.

"Carlos Olivera." Carlos held out his other hand for Charlie to shake. Charlie took it and smiled back.

"Charles Abernathy. Call me Charlie." He said.

"Abernathy. That's where I knew that name from. Alice Abernathy-Prospero."

"Except I dropped the Abernathy completely. It's just Prospero." I directed my statement to my father. I saw the flash of pain in his eyes before he hid it away behind his usual façade of indifference. Sick bastard.

"And? These people are…" Charlie prompted, smirking at me when our father had his back turned. My brother was the only one who'd ever understood my hatred for all things Abernathy. Well, except for him, our little brother, Robbie, and our mother. I'd never liked our father, our sister, Maureen, or anything about my hometown.

My only regret about leaving had been Charlie, Mama, and Robbie.

I'd finally escaped when I was eighteen, off to make myself happy and protect others like I hadn't been able to protect myself. Charlie had helped me escape and sent me regular letters.

All this is why I joined Umbrella in the first place. I thought they were all for helping people, until I figured out they were only interested in helping themselves.

Now, I was back. And I really wasn't sure why.

Charlie's POV

At least she looked happy. She'd cut her hair and she looked almost painfully thin, except for her stomach. But, standing next to Olivera, she looked radiant and I knew she was happy. Thank God she'd had that, at least.

She'd spent most of our brutal childhood plotting to get away from Abernathy, and she had. And now, she was back. It made me happy; things got boring the day my twin sister left. I really wanted to know who the other people were, though.

"Well, I've already introduced Carlos." Alice started. Carlos smiled at her as our father scowled. Sick bastard.

"That's Mikey," She pointed to the blond guy who was examining a broken remote. Come to think of it, I think it was the remote she'd thrown at our dad's head when she'd left.

"I'm Claire." The red-blond-haired woman introduced herself. She was beautiful, even in the dark with her pregnant belly and her h air in disarray. Her smile was dazzling, even though the light was dim. It always was.

"I'm L.J., you crazy fucker! Alice, why didn't you tell us your family lived here?" An African-American man called from the doorway. Alice looked down at what little of her feet she could see.

A pale, raven-haired woman and a darker woman with long brown hair appeared from behind him.

"Betty?" I asked, wondering if it could possible be the woman I'd met in medical school.

"Charlie?" She questioned, then smiled, "You dumbass, what are you doing here?"

"I'm assuming he lives here." The raven-haired woman told her, then turned to me.

"Hi, I'm Jill Valentine." She shook my hand, "And that's Chris."

She pointed out a man who looked eerily like the male version of Claire.

"Yeah, he's Claire's brother." Alice assured me, letting me know that we could still practically read each other's minds.

Two teenaged girls pushed their ways into the room, looking confused. The redhead looked at my dad and stepped back a little bit.

"That's Angie," Carlos pointed out the redhead, "And that's K-Mart."

He gestured toward the brown-eyed blond, who looked so much like Alice, she could be-

"Say hi to her, Charlie, she's your niece." Alice smiled.

Carlos's POV

She was laying on the bed, waiting for me to join her. He smile grew as I pulled my shirt off.

"See something you like?" I asked, teasing her. A soft laugh escaped her lips.

"Well, that poster of Oded Fehr on the wall behind you is really turning me on." She laughed at the look of false indignation on my face.

"That's never something you should ask a girl in her childhood bedroom." Alice smiled at me. I looked around the room, taking in the epitome of Alice's teenagerhood. The walls were black and plastered with pictures of who I assumed were her friends and many pictures of Charlie.

"You love your brother a lot, huh?" I asked, looking at her to see she was watching my movements with a soft warmth.

"He's my brother, Carlos. He's the only person in this house who understood what I went through for the first eighteen years of my life. Maureen was spared, Robbie was too young and our mother never knew."

"Never knew what, Alice?" I asked, the blood running cold in my veins. She closed her eyes to shield the pain that was clearly visible.

"Nothing, just forget I said anything. Now, shut up and kiss me." She whispered fiercely.

I complied. I wasn't an idiot, after all; I couldn't turn down that opportunity.

Hours later, when I was sure she was asleep, I got out of bed and went downstairs, doing my best not to wake anyone up. I reached the living room and, with my newly T-Virus enhanced night vision, which they experimented on me in the lab before Isaacs went psycho, I began looking through drawers, cabinets and shelves, looking for anything that would tell me something.

"Looking for something?" A voice echoed from the couch. I spun around to see Charlie, looking at me, waiting for an answer. I shook my head, unsure of what to say. He sighed.

"She won't tell you anything, huh?" He shook his head, "No, didn't think so. She never wanted anyone to know."

"Know what?" I asked, beginning to feel a little fear from what he was telling me. He gave a cold chuckle to match the blank stare in his eyes as he looked right through me.

"I'm going to tell you," He seemed to come to terms with that, "I'm going to tell you everything. She loves you and she doesn't want to drive you away. That would kill her."

"Nothing anyone could ever say or do would drive me away from Alice. I love her, no matter what. That's really what love's all about. Now, what doesn't she want me to know?" I looked at the family portrait on the wall.

"How sick a bastard our father really is." He began, then took a key out of his pocket. He reached under the couch, pulling out a small metal box. He unlocked it and pulled out a videotape. He looked me straight in the eyes as he pushed it into the VCR and turned the tv on.

"Don't judge her for this," He warned, "This is the video that set the basis for the rest of our lives."

The video began to play. Never before had I been so completely and utterly horrified. As the small children on the screen a boy and a girl, the same ones in the picture, Alice and Charlie, were forced by their father to take off their clothes and-

The hot tears burst from their dam. I had to choke back sobs of pain from the awful images in front of me.

The sight of the boy thrusting into the little girl over and over again until they were both crying and screaming while their father stood over them, laughing and threatening them with whippings if they stopped, completely froze me. A shuffle at the door disturbed that.

Alice stood there, her face a mass of tears and her eyes two pools of liquid pain. The video finally ended and the three of us sat, breathing loudly, the still room seeming to close in on us.

I stood up and walked over to Alice, wrapping her in my arms, never wanting to let her go, afraid she'd be hurt again. Charlie seemed to relax before tensing up again.

"Shit." He said, looking through the doorway behind Alice and me.

"That was awful." Claire managed to choke out through her muffled sobs.

"Oh, God," Charlie said, heaving himself off the couch and drawing Claire close.

"How could he do something like that? Where did that sicko get such a horrific idea?" She managed to say between sobs and tear-thickened breaths.

Alice and Charlie both answered at the same time, "The Butterfly Effect."

"You know, that scene where Kailey's dad makes her and Evan fuck each other in front of his video camera?" Charlie continued.

"Our father always wanted to be a great filmmaker, so he'd copy things from other movies. If we didn't participate when he told us to and do exactly what he said, he'd whip us until we bled. He got that idea from a movie, too." Alice finished, pulling up her shirt to show off a long, thin scar on the side of her stomach. I choked.

"That was for crying about it afterwards." She said, referring to the videotape.

"Oh, God," Claire said again, "Why didn't your mother do anything about it?"

Alice and Charlie exchanged glances.

"She didn't know; none of us ever told her and we did our best to keep in hidden. Our father was always afraid she'd find out and leave him and take all of us with her."

"And if there's one thing he couldn't live without besides his home movies, it was his family. His biggest fears were never realizing his filmmaking dreams and his family leaving, "Charlie interrupted, "That's why he's the way he is now. Robbie died when he was seven, Mama was killed when the undead finally attacked Abernathy, Alice left the day she turned eighteen and, worst of all, Maureen announced she was leaving to finally kill Alice, once and for all."

Alice looked up in surprise.

"Yeah, she left to make you miserable, then kill you. And it ripped Dad apart because you were always his favorite. He was terrified Maureen would kill you and he couldn't bear to have you die hating him, so he locked Maureen in the attic to stop her, but she escaped. Him and his stupid movies." Charlie mumbled the last sentence under his breath.

"And?" Alice asked.

"So, we haven't seen her since." He finished.

Alice, Claire and I stared at him in shock.

"Damn, the Abernathys have some skeletons in their closet." Alice managed to slightly laugh, slightly cry.

"Or attic. We found the kitten that disappeared when we were eleven."

"Ammo? I loved that cat." Alice said to her brother.

"I know. That's why Maureen killed it."

We were all silent for a moment.

"God, this is fucked up!" L.J. announced to us all.

We all stared at him, wondering when he'd arrived.

"What? You guys never seen a black guy before?" He asked. He shook his head, trying not to laugh at us because we were still speechless.

"You guys need to sleep. Really sleep, Carlos and Alice, not that pretend sleep shit that was going on earlier. You could scar a brother for life, making him listen to that," I smirked, never loving/hating L.J. more than I did at that moment, "But we're leaving in the morning. We're hitting town, getting supplies and going on to save the rest of the world." He paused.

"And bring down Umbrella!" Claire sounded exuberant. Charlie looked a bit sad.

"Oh, please, mother-fucker, you're coming, too. Leave that crazy old fucker behind. He keeps following me around, trying to find out things about Alice and Carlos and K-Mart. Come on, dude, let's go sleep!" L.J. took off up the stairs before Claire and Alice followed him out.

The last thing I saw before leaving the room was Charlie's look of excitement and relief as his eyes followed Claire.

a/n: Dudes, I know! It's messed up! And there's more coming! Read and Review! Just a hint…reviews make me update faster….


	19. Eavesdropping

K-Mart's POV

"God, this chick is messed up!" Angie exclaimed, her face a mask of horror as she examined the diary of Maureen's we'd found under her bed. A tear slid down Angie's cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned against the pink-wallpapered wall.

The door creaked open and Daddy and Uncle Charlie edged their ways in, surprised to see us still awake. Daddy slid down the wall next to me, while Uncle Charlie sat down next to Angie, staring down at the diary.

"Fun." He mumbled under his breath. Daddy looked at him oddly, then, after seeing the cover of and the name on the diary, seemed to understand.

"Why, Daddy?" I asked him, laying my head on his shoulder, "I don't understand how anyone could ever hate another human being that much."

He sighed and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, hugging me.

"And I especially don't see how anyone could hate Mama that much." I whispered, not wanting to know why, but really wanting to know at the same time.

"She was always jealous." Uncle Charlie stated simply.

"But it didn't work, her plan to make your mother miserable," He tried to make light of the situation, "Your mama's happy, despite the mutations."

The room was silent. I looked up at Uncle Charlie, feeling something was amiss.

"Alice?" Daddy questioned Mama, who appeared at the door like a shadow come to life. She was staring at Uncle Charlie, her face unreadable.

"Who told you that?" Mama asked him, "I know no one here told you. How did you know that?"

We were all quiet, watching Mama stare her twin brother down until he looked away.

"She wrote us a letter, telling us she'd had you suggested for it."

"Who? Suggested what?" Mama asked.

"Maureen. She's the head of the Umbrella Corporation. Or dating him, at least. She gave the orders for you to be the T-Virus experiment."

Alice's POV

I collapsed, Carlos catching me right before I hit the ground. The thoughts were all swirling in a giant mass in my head. I choked out a strangled breath and Carlos hugged me to him, glaring at Charlie.

Of all the screwed up things about my life, this was the most confusing and terrible. And personally, I was sick of the confusion and terror.

"Enough." K-Mart barked suddenly, her eyes narrow, "I'm sick off all this bullshit." She closed her eyes and sighed before reopening them.

"Tomorrow, we will set out again," She continued, "And destroy Umbrella, once and for all. No side-tracks, no distractions, just a completely annihilated Umbrella," She looked at Charlie, "We're not opening anymore family closets 'til this Umbrella bullshit is all over. We don't have time to sort out all of your issues. Do that afterward. Now, Angie and I would like to get some sleep."

Stunned, Carlos and I left the room, an equally stunned Charlie behind us.

Later, in bed, Carlos's voice broke through the silent darkness.

"She's right, you know."

I sighed.

"I know she is." I was quiet for a moment, "But I've never really appreciated how fucked up my life was until I came home."

Carlos rolled over and looked at me.

"Well," He said, grabbing my hand, "We're leaving in the morning. We'll destroy Umbrella, save the world and finally live our happily-ever-after."

And as his breathing slowed as he fell asleep, I believed him. We would win in the end. And then, we'd always be happy. I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

Mikey's POV

"You're not supposed to smoke if you're pregnant." I reminded Claire as she lit one. She gave me a pained and pleading look.

"Oh, come on, just one?" She groaned, throwing her head back against her seat.

Charlie was looking back and forth between the two of us. He was wedged in the back of the truck with Carlos, Chris, L.J. and Betty. Alice and Jill were in the Hummer with K-Mart and Angie. We'd been on the road for three weeks by then, after leaving Alice's house.

We were in Oregon, heading toward the survival camp in Alaska. Our plan of taking the chopper to Tokyo was approaching quickly.

I turned my thoughts back to reprimanding Claire.

"Baby, no," I scolded, "You're four months pregnant. It could hurt the baby."

"Gimme the cigarette, Claire." Betty took it from her, putting it to her own lips and inhaling. She exhaled, blowing smoke out through her mouth and nose.

"Ahhhh," She sighed serenely, "That's good."

Claire groaned again.

"I hate you, Betty." She said, causing Betty to snort and Charlie and L.J. to smile. Chris was frowning at Charlie and looked deep in thought.

It was then that I noticed Carlos had the walkie-talkie and was grinning.

"Let's pull over," Jill's voice crackled through, "Give us Claire and Betty. We need some girl time."

Chris's grin spread across his face as he heard Jill's voice.

The exchange was quickly made and we were back on the road within five minutes.

We guys drove along in silence for a few miles, enjoying the warmth from the sun.

"So, what do you think about your uncle, K-Mart?" Claire's voice came from the walkie-talkie. They obviously had forgotten to turn theirs off. all of us guys turned to stare at the walkie-talkie except me, who was driving.

"He's kinda strange, but I like him. He reminds me of you sometimes, Mama." K-Mart answered.

Alice and Claire laughed and Jill giggled out, "Well, he is her twin brother."

Angie's next words shocked us all.

"I think he likes you, Claire."

It was dead silent in both vehicles.

"What makes you think that?" Claire asked softly with a tone of slight anger.

"Well, he stares at you everytime you're around him and he avoids Mikey and Chris like the plaque. He's afraid of what they'd do to him if they found out." Angie supplied most helpfully.

At this point, I honestly believe that I could have spit flame.

L.J.'s POV

The tension in the truck rose almost as fast as the temperature dropped. Mikey and Chris looked ready to rip into Charlie. It was the first time I think I ever saw them united in anything.

"Well, he's a nice guy," Claire began, "But I love Mikey. Nothing's going to change that. Plus, there's no way that I would ever deprive my baby of his father. That'd be like telling K-Mart to run off and forget that she's Carlos and Alice's kid."

"I personally don't see the connection between the two," K-Mart sounded annoyed, "But it's nice to know you love Mikey so much. That would really boost a guy's self-esteem."

I saw Mikey smile to himself and Chris relax his death grip on his armrest while still maintaining a fierce and deadly glare at the back of Charlie's head. Charlie was very pointedly not making eye contact with him. He wasn't a complete dumbass after all.

I hated the drama, but at least it was a good boredom buster.

Chris's POV

We'd pulled over for supper. It'd been Angie's night to choose the meal, so, of course, we were roasting sweet stuff over a fire.

I watched Carlos and Alice eat a melted snickers bar off Alice's unbent wire hanger. She laughed when the chocolate smudged on Carlos's face.

Jill and Betty were laughing while K-Mart and Angie painted L.J.'s face with a three muskateers bar. Charlie stood on the outskirts of our camp, not really one of the group yet. I smirked, glad he wasn't anywhere near Claire.

Claire and Mikey were snuggled together up against the Hummer, him feeding her gummy worms. I smiled; at least I could rest easy knowing that they were head over heels for each other. And then, I had an idea.

"Hey, Mikey, help me out for minute, will ya?" I approached him and Claire. Mikey looked surprised, but he kissed Claire and got up, following me to the truck.

"Okay, just remember," He started once we were no longer within earshot of the group, "If you kill me now, you'll have no one to fly the chopper to Tokyo."

I stood and stared at him for a moment before bursting out laughing.

"Oh, Mikey, dear child," I addressed through my laughter, which was met with a look of confusion, "I'm not going to kill you. But I'm going to request that you help me slaughter Charlie."

Let it go down in history that Mikey Cameron let loose the most evil grin in all of evil grin-dom.

"Gladly." He smirked, shaking my hand.

I could smell the start of a beautiful partnership.


	20. Little surprises

Chris's POV

"I think you're both nuts. If Alice finds out, she'll slaughter you." Jill told me and Mikey, startling us.

"God, why do women always randomly hear exactly what you don't want them to hear?" Mikey asked before slipping me a 'look' and walking off.

Now, I was alone with Jill, which was terrifying and a God-granted wish.

"What are you planning, Chris?" She asked me softly.

"You heard us today, didn't you?" She asked me. Our eyes met. That was bad; I knew I couldn't lie to Jill.

"Yeah. Y'all left your walkie-talkie on."

Jill was silent for awhile, staring at me.

"Oh, Chris, it's just a little crush. She's the first girl outside of Abernathy he's ever met. Well, besides Betty at that med school. Betty was the only girl in his class and she's a little too outspoken for him. He's just a little entranced, that's all." She said.

I stared at her, her warm eyes drawing mine. Time seemed to stand still. She laughed softly.

"Oh, Chris, what am I gonna do with you?"

I couldn't take it anymore. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her close and placing my lips on hers. She moaned slightly, urging me to deepen the kiss.

She tasted like melted chocolate and the pure light of sunshine. I'd never enjoyed a kiss more.

Our tongue entwined, the kiss deepening further. It was then that I knew for sure.

I was absolutely, positively, head-over-heels in love with Jill Valentine.

Jill's POV

"Alice?" I asked much later.

We were all asleep, well, mostly. Some of us were sleeping in the vehicles, others of us opting to sleep under the stars.

"Hmmmm..?" Alice mumbled from her position between Carlos and Claire.

"How did you know Carlos was the one?" I asked her.

She struggled to sit up, her stomach preventing her from performing the move with her former ease. She looked at me and smiled.

"Why? Did something happen with Chris?" She asked, looking excited.

I hesitated a bit before nodding.

"Yes!" She whisper-yelled, throwing her sit in the air.

"He kissed me," I told her, "And it was the best kiss of my life. But I need to know...how do you know? How did you know Carlos was the one?"

She was quiet, pondering her answer.

"I think I knew the moment I met him. The time were standing in Angie's cafeteria and he had his gun pointed at my chest. There was this instant rush," She sounded exhilarated, "My head was going 'No! Not now! Not him!', but everything else was going 'Well, here he is! That's it!'"

She smiled at my confused look.

"I won't admit to love at first sight, but I won't deny the instant attraction. And I guess that was when I knew. I just knew he was the one, he was it. That's the only explanation I can give for my actions that night."

I remembered her extreme hatred for Umbrella and how she had saved Carlos. I hadn't understood why she would've helped an Umbrella agent until later, when I saw what was between them. And I'd seen his agony when she'd died, I'd seen her immense care and love for him through the days leading up to her disappearance and his forlorness when he'd discovered she was gone.

"So, you just...knew?" I asked. She chuckled.

"I know it sounds tupid and cliche, but that's what happened. I heard the angel chorus and the bells and I saw the fireworks and I was a goner. You just...know."

I finally understood what she was saying. Chris made all the same things happen to me.

"I love him." I said out loud, not meaning to. She laughed.

"I figured. You have that same look on your face that I know I have everytime Carlos walks into the same room as me."

She laid back down and snuggled against Carlos, kissing him lightly on the lips before closing her eyes.

"Alice." I called.

"Hmmmm?" She grumbled.

"Thanks for the talk."

"Jill, you, Claire and L.J. are my best friends. Of course I'll talk to you." She said before Carlos shifted and she fell silent.

"Love you." I heard her whisper to Carlos before I smiled to myself and went to sleep.

Carlos's POV

"The angel chorus, huh?" I asked Alice after we were sure Jill was asleep. She snickered.

"Yep. That was all you, baby." She told me before drifting off to sleep. That's the last sweet nothing we said to each other for weeks. Minutes later it seemed, even though it was hours we were all up and running.

It took three more weeks to get to Alaska, where we met up with the rest of the convoy. It was amusing watching their expressions when they discovered Betty was alive and when they saw Claire's and Alice's stomachs.

We remained there for five weeks, planning our stops and gathering more supplies.

"Carlos," Alice's voice called out, breaking into my thoughts. I turned to look at her, realizing I hadn't really been paying much attnetion to her since that night with Jill.

"When did you get a haircut?" I asked, noting her shorter hair. She gave me a strange and sad look.

"Two weeks ago, remember? You said you liked it, kissed me on the cheek and went back to studying maps."

I mentally beat the hell out of myself. How could I have basically ignored Alice? She struggled to sit down, maneuvering her stomach so she could sit comfortably. Mentally calculating, I realized she was in her seventh month of prenancy. I folded up all the maps and stored them away, walking over to Alice and picking her up to set her down on my lap. Her warmth washed over me in the cool room.

"Oh, acknowledging my existance now, are we?" She teased. It upset me that she was still being her usual sweet self to me.

"I love you." I whispered against her ear before kissing her neck. She shivered.

"Cold?" I asked, knowing better.

"No. Hot." She whispered sexily in my ear. I pressed a kiss against her lips, which opened in surprise. I took advantage of the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Suddenly, Alice stiffened.

"You okay?" I asked, concerned enough to breakj the kiss. Her eyes were shut and her face was twisted in pain.

"Actually," She gasped out, "That's what I came in here to tell you. I think I'm in labor."

Betty's POV

"Angie!" I yelled, "I need that water now!"

"Breathe." Carlos coaxed gently. Alice gasped again, leaning her head back, signaling the end of another contraction.

"Hurts." She choked out. Charlie, looking concerned, kissed her on the cheek.

"You'll get through this, Alice." He told her. She attempted to smiled at her brother, but the effort was too much. Carlos took an ice cube and began rubbing her lips with it, smiling and whispering softly in her ear.

Angie finally showed up with the hot water, K-Mart following her into the truck. We'd only bothered with a few tents since we weren't staying in Alaska long. Alice and Carlos slept in the truck and it was apparently the place Alice had told Carlos she was in labor. He'd refused to let her move and came screaming through the little village, trying to find me.

"How ya doing, Mama?" K-Mart asked, trying to cheer Alice up. Alice glared at her, then, seemingly realizing who she was glaring at, softened the look.

"Alright, Alice," I said, finishing setting up all my supplies, "On the next one, I need you to push, okay?"

She nodded, then gasped as the next contraction hit her. L.J. climbed in the truck, his face paling when he saw what was going on.

"Sorry! I'll be out here." He said, moving to get out.

"L.J., get back here!" Carlos demanded.

"Yeah," It was Alice's voi e that made L.J. pause, "You've gotta be here to see your godchildren be born."

That was enough to make everyone pause.

"Carlos, dammit!" She screamed, reaching out for his hand.

"Alright, Alice, I need you to push." I told her.

I heard L.J. musing about being the godfather behind me.

And at exactly 7:23 on the 26th of October, year unknown, Phoenixe Fyre and War Braxtin Prospero-Olivera made their premature way into the world.

Exactly three hours later, Carlos Olivera asked Alice Prospero to be his wife.

Carlos cried three times that day: once when his daughter was born, then when his son was born forty-five seconds later and then the final time when Alice said yes.


	21. Deja vu

K-Mart's POV

K-Mart's POV

"I've finally figured out why people would want to go skydiving. That would be so cool!" I told angie loudly over the whirring and chopping noises the helicopter constantly made. She giggled, nodding in agreement.

We were finally in Japan. Not quit Tokyo, but we were due there soon.

"Still terrified of helicopters?" I jokingly asked Angie. The angry and scared look she gave me shut me up real quick.

"Absolutely." She said in a semi-cold voice. I still wasn't sure why she was scared of helicopters. No one would tell me. Of course, only five people would know becuase all Angie'd told me was that it'd happened in Raccoon City.

Claire stood up and leaned against the wall, making a face. I recognized that face.

"Betty!" I called, alerting everyone to Claire's situation.

"Shit." L.J. eloquently summed up what we were all thinking.

"I," Claire groaned, "Refuse to give birth on a helicopter."

"What?!" Mikey freaked out, apparently just hearing what was going on, "I have to be back there for this. Can anyone else drive this thing?!"

"It can't be Carlos or Chris," Claire said calmly now that the contraction had passed, "Carlos is the god-father and I want my brother here."

Both Daddy and Chris looked stunned and touched.

"That includes you, Alice, but I can see you're a bit busy." Claire sarcasticlaly and teasingly told Mama, who was collapsed on on e of the chairs with Phoe and War, all three asleep. She'd been trying to make them sleep for two hours until they'd all fallen asleep about thirty minutes prior.

Charlie took over flying the chopper, giving Mikey the freedom to rush to the back and grab Claire.

"Breathe," He coaxed once before stopping, "Shit, I don't know what the hell I'm doing. Carlos! Help me!" He panicked.

"Oh, calm down, you crazy fucker!" L.J. told him, "Lay her down, hold her hand and let Betty do her work!"

"Yeah, just sit back and relax." Betty said, breaking open her med kit for the second time that week.

After the next contractio, Claire managed to wish out loud that Alice was awake because she knew what was gonna happen three times over.

"I'll wake her up!" Jill volunteered.

"No way in hell!" Daddy and Claire yelled at the same time.

"Wake my sister up and I'll kick your ass!" Charlie yelled from the cockpit.

"Talk to Jill like that again and I'll kick your ass!" Chris threatened.

"Oh, all of you, shut up!" Claire screamed. She laid her head back, breathing heavily and sweating.

At 11:42 on October 27th, let it be known that technical difficulties were experienced. The helicopter began shaking violently, almost knocking everyone but Betty, Claire and Mikey out of their seats. Mama was finally jarred awake. Her eyes flew open, looking around wildly.

"What's happening?" She asked.

"Well, Claire's in labor and the helicopter is shaking violently." Chris answered.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." She looked annoyed.

"Carlos, hold the babies, please." She handed Phoe and War to Daddy, then went up front to the cockpit.

"What's going on?" I heard her ask.

Daddy handed the twins to me and Angie, rushing quickly up front.

"No! How-" Mama's voice was cut off by the sound of something hitting the chopper and the screech of tearing metal.

The shaking was terrible. A baby's cry filled the air as well, signaling the arrival of Mikey and Claire's baby. A wrench was shaken loose from the rack, flying straight toward me. Angie's eyes widened and she prepared to put down War and jump in front of me. The thing was...Mama got there first.

She threw herself in front of Phoe and me, the metal burying itself in her stomach with a gut-wrenching crack.

"We're going-NO!" Daddy yelled, seeing Mama fall, the blood pouring out of her stomach and from between her lips.

"Oh, god!" Jill yelled, putting her arms around me and Angie, ushering us, with my little brother and sister, to safety.

Screams and a loud crash were all I heard before I let the darkness consume me.

Jill's POV

Finding the energy to blink was hard enough, but moving was complete agony. Somehow, I managed.

I spotted Claire about 30 feet away from me, stirring feebly. Her baby was wrapped in her arms, cryng softly. Its father lay three feet away from the two, out cold.

Betty was walking around with a limp, attempting to help the wounded. She stopped in front of Alice's body, gaping in horror at the metal and the still-wet blood jutting out from her stomach. Betty dropped to her knees, tears spilling down her face.

I closed my eyes. The deja vu was killing me. I dragged myself to my feet and began helping Betty with our wounded vastly unconscious group.

After moving the unconscious L.J., Mikey and K-Mart, we patched up Chris's gashed forehead and Angie's bloody nose. We still hadn't found Carlos or Charlie. Chris and I walked to the front of the destroyed helicopter, finding baby Phoenixe with a bloody mouth in the arms of her uncle, who was covered in a medley of brutally bleeding wounds.

"I think Carlos is right there." Chris said softly, pointing at the riverbank about fifty feet upstream.

Carlos was sprawled out, halfway conscious.

"Chr..." He stuttered when Chrius lifted his head out of the dirt. Carlos started spasming, looking into the river, clawing his way into it. I looked to see what he was trying to reach. Time seemed to stop at the sight of it.

Baby War was at the bottom of the river, the water washing over him, and he was still.

Carlos's POV

I held them both in my arms; my dead fiance and son. I stared into their faces, trying to memorize every detail, engraving their images into my brain.

K-Mart stood a little distance away holding Phoenixe, refusing to let anyone else hold the baby.

The three of us ignored the whispers and flinched away from everyone else's touch. Phoenixe, who wasn't even a week old, could feel heavily the loss of both her mother and her twin.

Charlie still hadn't regained consciousness. L.J. was groggy, too groggy to be much help to anyone, including himself. Betty sat beside him, gently doing her best to restore him to full health.

Mikey was propped up against a rock, smiling lovingly at his girlfriend and new daughter, who were on his lap.

"MiCailah Krystal Alyson." Claire announced.

She was given looks of confusion from everyone who wasn't consumed with grief.

"That's her name, after Mikey, Chris...and Alice." She shot me a glance when I looked up sharply. I smiled at her, giving her my blessing, before looking back down at my family. What I saw nearly convinced me that I was completely off my gourd.

War's chest was falling and rising with gentle breaths.

a/n: Alright, at least twenty-two people have this fic on alert. I want at least ten reviews for this chapter if y'all want another one. And it would make me sad if y'all didn't, cause I've already written it…….if you want an update, review!


	22. Storm

Alice's POV

Alice's POV

It was like a scene out of freaking Harry Potter. I knew I was dead...again. However, I still wasn't going down the fabled tunnel of light.

I looked down at myself, not seeing the metal in my stomach or any blood whatsoever.

A sudden movement caught my eye and I braced myself for an attack before my mouth dropped open in astonishment.

"Maureen?" I asked acidly, not pleased by the sight of my evil, vindictive little sister.

But the look on her face confused me. She looked at me with eyes caught between pity and remorse.

"They sent me." She said simply, her voice sounding defeated.

"Umbrella? Oh, but I thought you were Umbrella, nowadays." I questioned, the tone of anger and indifference making my voice harsh.

She laughed dryly and emotionlessly.

"Oh, no, dear sister." She replied curtly.

"But you were with Wesker. And you got him to agree to make me an experiment."

She finally looked at me, forcing me to stare into blue eyes so much like my own. All four of our parents' children had gotten our mother's sapphire blue eyes.

"Wesker's not the head of the corporation. He's second-in-command and married to me."

I let the news and surprise wash over me before asking, "Well, if he's not the head, who is?"

I feared the look in her eyes before she opened her mouth to answer me.

"Our mother, Alice. Our mother is the head of the Umbrella Corporation. She's the one who ordered your experimentation and programming."

"But..." I grasped for anything but the truths my sister was telling me, "She's not dead."

"No."

"But...why?" I asked, desperate to understand.

The pity in her eyes was nearly killing me; I hated being pitied.

"Take a seat," She sighed and gestured for me to sit," It's a long story and it's finally time you knew it."

I smelled the makings of a trap. Maureen hated my guts; why the hell was she helping me?

"I don't hate you anymore." She said, as if she'd read my thoughts, "I haven't for a long time. Not since I learned everything."

I sat, intriqued and wary.

"I suppose I should start off with before any of us children were born, back before Mom and Dad were married, back before Mother became the head of the Umbrella Corporation." She began.

"She was young, fresh out of college and in her beginning days at Umbrella when she met him."

"Who?" I asked.

"Dr. Charles Ashford, the head of the Umbrella Corporation."

I floundered around in my head, trying not to drown in the waterfall of thoughts deluging into my mind. What did Angie's father have to do with this whole thing?

"They quickly became romantically involved. Father was obsessed with our mother-he was an Umbrella agent-but she loved Dr. Ashford. After a while, she got pregnant. the night she was going to tell him, she was driving them to a restaurant. He couldn't drive because of his handicap. He eventually was going to have to be in a wheelchair, but he could make due with a cane for awhile. On the way to the restaurant, they got into an accident, which resulted in the loss of use of his legs. He was devastated by this, blaming our mother for it. He relinquished postion as head of the Umbrella Corporation to her in exchange for a job as head of the genetic experimentation and viral research branch of Umbrella and for her to stay far, far away from him. It was basically an undocumented restraining order. She agreed, heartbroken, and forever, even to this day, grieved the loss of him. She married Dad and had Charles Ashford's children five months later."

"Children?" I inquired, realization dawning.

"That's right. You and Charlie are the end product of Mom's relationship with Dr. Ashford."

Oddly enough, I accepted this easily. Then, another shoe dropped.

"My God, Angie's my sister." I let out a breath.

"Yeah. When I was two and you and Charlie were five, he married a woman named Alexia. Eight years later, they finally managed to have a child, Angela. Mother found out and was furious. So, she did what came natural to a woman wronged."

"She had Angie's mother killed." I was finding out more than I ever wanted to know.

Maureen nodded.

"In a car accident. Fitting ending to Dr. Ashford's relationship. Or so she said. But anyway, she decided to make you and Charlie the greatest things the world had ever seen. She'd been building this plan up for years, making Father torture you both. She couldn't do it herself and make you two hate her. How would that look to Ashford?"

I fell backward into myself, falling faster and faster through the flashes of my childhood playing before my eyes. Every terrible thing our father ever did to me and Charlie was on orders from our mother? And he wasn't even our real father.

"Why? Why did she do that to us?" I asked my half-sister who no longer hated me. She reached out and brushed a lock of hair out of one of the tears tracks that were streaked down my face.

"She thought she would make you hate father more easily. She thought these experiences would make you tough, so when the time came to make you experiments, your experiences would make you even more magnificent. And if you were the best, he'd have no choice but to love you. And to love the woman who gave him the most amazing children, the most amazing being the world has ever seen."

"And yes, Alice, you are!" She exclaimed before I could protest, "You can heal almost instantaneously, you can see in the dark, your senses are perfect and, hell, you can come back from the dead without killing anyone! You are the most amazing being to ever walk the Earth and still retain your humanity."

"But Charlie was never experimented on." I pointed out. But Maureen knew the reason for that, too.

"He went to medical school. You came straight to Umbrella after your short stint in college. By the time Mom would've been able to recruit Charlie to Umbrella, the Raccoon City incident had passed and Ashford was dead. Apparently, she couldn't do that to another one of her kids if there was not reason. She gave Isaacs the order to let you go, but once it became clear that you were the cure to the virus and the key to saving the world, all she did and is still doing is hunt for you."

Everything finally made sense. Every single thing that had ever confused me finally made sense.

"So, now," She continued, smiling warmly at me, "It's about time you headed back to the real world. They're really missing you out there."

"I'm still bringing down Umbrella," I warned her, "I'm gonna destroy Umbrella. Just warning you."

"And I'll be behind you every step of the way. It's time Umbrella's reign over humanity was over. Carpe diem, Alice. Let's sieze the day!" She sounded excited, still smiling at me.

"And Alice," She called as I turned to go, "I'm sorry. For everything."

I accepted this with a nod.

"I'll be seeing you soon," I hugged her, "Be prepared for a storm."

a/n: And guess what, people! Still more twists coming! Reviewing makes them come quicker!


	23. Here it goes again

Angie's POV

Angie's POV

I would've screamed had Alice not gestured for my silence. She leaned down next to Carlos's head and whispered in his ear, "It's your lucky day."

The look on his face as he spun around and saw her was comparable to a man who had just seen God. Her smile at him was gentle and full of love. Still staring at her, he slowly dragged her down to sit in his lap. cupping her face inches away from his, he stared at her forever before softly saying, "This seems to be happening increasingly often."

They both laughed almost inaudibly, their lips slowly meeting. It felt much too private a moment to be witnessing and I was positive my face was flaming worse than the helicopter had been four hours prior.

"Hey, Angie, do you know where the extra headache medicine is? L.J. says he's got a migraine bigger than his-" K-Mart cut off upon entering the tent and seeing her parents, as L.J. had once described it, "sucking face".

"Mommy!" She shrieked delightedly, throwing herself into her mother's arms, ignoring the activities Alice and Carlos had been engaging in when she'd come in. She caught my look that apparently revealed my thoughts and shrugged.

"They don't tell me how to live my life." She told me.

"So, what went on?" Alice asked, "How's everyone?"

"Well," Carlos began, refusing to let her off his lap, "You died. Mikey, L.J. me and Charlie were knocked unconscious. Charlie's still out of it. Angie and Chris got some injuries, but they're fine now. Jill, Betty, K-Mart, Phoenixe, Claire and MiCaila are all fine."

"Who?" Alice asked, not having been alive for the naming of Claire's and Mikey's baby.

"MiCaila Krystal Alyson Cameron. Named for you, Mikey and Chris." He filled her in.

"Oh, Claire and Mikey's new baby. Speaking of baby, what about War?" She asked.

K-Mart, Carlos and I were completely quiet. Alice's eyes grew wide with fear.

"What happened to my baby? Where's my son?" She asked, staring us all down, drowning us in guilt.

"Well, honey, our son definitely takes after you." Carlos joked. Alice made a face between confusion, anxiety and a genuine desire to smack her fiance upside the head.

"He drowned, but he's alive now. Must be a family trait." K-Mart said flippantly, getting up, "Come see him for yourself, Mama. He's fine."

Alice stood to go see her son, turning to say to Carlos, "Call a meeting. I've got some important things to share."

"What'd you find out in your death?" Carlos wondered aloud, a grin on his face. She smiled back.

"What everyone wants to find out when they die: the meaning of their lives. A nice talk with my sister who no longer hates my guts made everything slide into place."

She blew him a kiss, smiled at me and left the tent behnd K-Mart, leaving me and Carlos behind with looks of confusion on our faces to match the turmoil of our minds.

Charlie's POV

"Hold on a minutes," L.J. shook his head, "So you're saying that your whole life has been a lie, Dr. Doom was really your dad, you mom's a psycho freak and all of this was told to you by your evil sister who doesn't hate you anymore in a between-life phase where you were until you came back to life?"

"Yep, that about sums it up." Alice clarified.

L.J. shook his head again.

"You know, Alice, if I didn't love you and know about all this crazy shit, I'd say you were one seriously messed up motherfucker."

"Thanks, L.J., I love you too." Alice said sarcastically.

I looked over at Angie, apparantly my half-sister, to see Jill trying to get her to talk.

"Angie, is it really that bad? Are we that bad? Is it really that unbelieveable?" I asked her jokingly, sounding like a really annoying interrogator. She smiled at me.

"No, Charlie, it's really not that hard to believe. I've seen the dead come to life, I've survived the apocalypse...I think you and Alice being my brother and sister is a piece of cake to accept compared to that."

I thought for a moment, then laughed.

"You have a very good point." She joined me in laughter.

Chris was off somewhere with Mikey, having left a few minutes before.

Claire was holding her daughter and laughing at L.J.'s confusion.

Alice seemed to be enjoying the confusion. As soon as Chris and Mikey came back, she said, "I hope everyone feels like a good fight."

The confused expressions came back.

"Why?" K-Mart asked.

"The helicopter was shot down by Umbrella, Maureen, an Umbrella agent, was close enough to find me and, if I'm not mistaken, the entrance to Umbrella Headquarters is over there, under the water."

Mikey's POV

"Man, Umbrella's gone soft." I told Claire, trying to hack their entrance code, "This is much easier than it would've been before the apocalypse."

She laughed.

"Before the apocalypse, they had thousands of people working for them and someone would've spotted us here and we'd be sitting in a jail cell waiting for a our phone calls." She said.

"You're optimistic." Chris interjected, joining us.

"Oh, thank God you're here, Chris," L.J. groaned from a few feet over, "Their flirting was making me sick."

Chris laughed while Claire and I glared at L.J.

"It makes me sick, too, L.J. but I guess you've got to live and let live." He said. I almost burst into hysterics hearing him say that, considering he'd only decided two hours before not to murder Charlie. Jill had really mellowed Chris out and I never really was a killer or a hater at heart.

Alice and Carlos burst from the water, swimming toward us. Neither of them was wearing swimming gear.

"Hell, if War can do it, they sure can." L.J. explained flippantly.

"We almost in, Mikey?" Alice asked me. I nodded.

"Shouldn't be more than a few more minutes." I told her.

"Who's staying with the babies?" Claire asked.

"Betty. She said that there was no way in Hell she was stepping foot in an Umbrella facility again." Carlos said before Jill, K-Mart, Angie and Charlie's heads all broke the surface of the water. K-Mart was the only one not in scuba gear.

"I'm an experiment. I do strange things." She said. We looked at Angie, who held her hands up.

"I can just walk. Nothing special or freaky here." She explained.

We turned back to the task at hand. Within minutes, I finally cracked the system and the doors slid open, revealing another freakishly long elevator.

"Elevators suck." K-Mart said eloquently.

Claire laughed.

"You said the same thing about cream of mushroom." she said.

"Cause that stuff is terrible!" Carlos and K-Mart both revealed before Carlos, Alice, Jill, L.J. and Angie all stepped into the elevator.

"It's like you read each other's minds." Charlie was shaking his head and trying not to laugh.

"Well, when you live together for so long under such odd circumstances," Jill and Alice said simultaneously.

"Enough said," Chris silenced them. The rest of us clamored into the elevator. The ride down was long and tense.

When we finally reached the end, our eyes were not met with a wrecked lab and a feeling of doom and disaster, but instead were met with the vision of a non-holographic White Queen.

a/n: Yay! another chapter! Sorry it's taken so long; school started, ya'll know how it is. Ya'll know the drill. Read and Review!


	24. Well, didn't see that one coming

a/n: Hey, guys, sorry it took sooooooo long. I finished writing the entire fic. There's only, like, two more chapters and the epilogue left to post and the story's done!!! I've already started on some new projects. Once again, thanks to all the faithful reviewers who stuck by me through this whole thing! You guys are the best! Read and review and I'll post sooner!!!!!!!

Carlos' POV

"Holy-!" L.J. reared back at the sight.

"White Queen?" K-Mart questioned. Her question was met with a smile from the White Queen.

"Actually, it's Elise, but I do represent the White Queen. How have you all been?" She looked at all of us, "And where's Betty? And the babies?"

"Outside with Betty." L.J. said.

"Why are you here?" Angie asked.

"My parents are here. Albert and Maureen Wesker." Elise said, looking at Alice, Charlie and K-Mart.

"Ahhh…" I said, "Well, as your future uncle, I'd like to say what now?"

"Now, we got to my mother. She's waiting for you."

She led us down an empty hallway and into another elevator, apologizing to K-Mart with her eyes.

When the elevator doors reopened, a dark-haired woman with blue eyes was waiting for us.

"Maureen." Alice said, stepping out of the elevator and into her sister's outstretched arms. Charlie quickly followed, enveloping both of his sisters in his arms.

"Well, isn't this a pretty little family picture?" A cold voice echoed down the hallway. Maureen quickly stepped back, Alice drew a pistol and Charlie merely stood looking dumbstruck.

The voice came from a beautiful blond-haired, blue-eyed woman striding down the hallway. She could've been Alice and Charlie's triplet.

"Mother." Charlie and Alice whispered, their voices echoing creepily. A wide, brilliant smile appeared on their mother's face. A blond-haired man wearing sunglasses stood behind her, looking confused.

"Alice, Charlie," She outstretched her arms, "You're home at last."

"Home?" Charlie asked, a cold laugh escaping from him, "This isn't home."

Their mother seemed uncomfortable under the glares her three children were shooting her.

"Maureen? Why don't you and Elise come here?" The blond guy asked. The White Queen, aka Elise Wesker, answered.

"Because, Daddy, we're not on your side."

"So this is what it comes to," Alice, Charlie and Maureen's mother said, "All four of my children have betrayed me."

"Fuck!" Alice yelled inexplicably.

"What?" Charlie asked her.

"Everything made perfect fucking sense and then she fucked it all up! How the fuck did Robbie betray you?" She fired at her mother, "He died when he was seven!"

"No, baby, he didn't." Her mother began, "Why don't all of you come and sit down and I'll tell you everything."

Alice's POV

While we were getting situated and sitting down, I saw my mother eyeing Carlos, as if she knew everything. It sent a chill down my spine, wondering how much she actually did know.

"Carlos. Carlos Olivera." She said, smiling at him and pointedly ignoring me.

He looked at her suddenly, confused.

"You." He said, staring at her as if he was seeing a ghost. My mother was looking at me warily, gauging my reaction. My confused look must have alerted Carlos to what was going on because he clued me in immediately.

"She was my defense tactics instructor when I first joined Umbrella." He told me.

"Well," My mother smiled, "It seems I taught you well. Not only are you expecting the unexpected, you're definitely the unexpected. I didn't expect my daughter to end up with an Umbrella agent."

"And I didn't expect my mother to have made me and my brother into experiments to serve her own selfish psycho obsession!" I shot back, getting angry.

That stopped her long enough for me to get a good survey of my surroundings.

The room was your atypical Umbrella lab: metal walls, fluorescent lighting, cold atmosphere, standard chemical scent that threatened to drown the senses. However, there wasn't an abundance of Umbrella agents standing guard at every available opening and I didn't feel the usual sense that I was being watched. It honestly seemed that the only outsiders with us were my mother, Wesker and my sister and niece, who were standing on our side facing he other two down.

Our loyal group of vigilantes was by my side, ready for anything. Ready to attack. Prepared for anything but what actually happened.

My mother sat down, gesturing for all of us to side down around the large table as well.

We all sat down warily, Carlos holding my hand under the table while keeping a close eye on K-Mart and Angie. Chris, Mikey and L.J. sat tensely while Jill and Claire switched their glances back and forth between my mother and Wesker and our goup. Charlie's and Maureen's expressions must have matched my own, looks that almost yelled, "Shit! Here we go again!"

"As I assume Maureen told you, you and Charlie's true father is Dr. Charles Ashford. You're named after him, Charlie." She smiled fondly at him.

"Unfortunately, when he died, Alice, your life had already been irrevocably changed. If I could fix that, I would, but unfortunately, I can't. By the time the Hive incident happened, you'd worked-really worked-your way up to its head of security operative. You and Spence Parks were strategically placed at the Park Mansion at the entrance to the Hive just in case such an incident were to occur. At that time, I was working on a way to recruit Charlie into Umbrella from Medical School, Maureen had just met Albert and eagerly joined us and Robbie…." She drifted off.

"What does Robbie have to do with all of this? He would've been just a teenager when all of this happened." Charlie interjected.

"A very grown-up teenager. You remember how he always looked old for his age?" She inquired.

"No. As I recall, you and father told us he died when he was seven." Maureen said coldly.

Mother sighed.

"When he was seven, he accidentally found out everything. My secrets, my plans, what I'd ordered Robert to do to Alice and Charlie. It was no longer safe to have him around. I arranged for him to go live with some friends of mine, the Addisons."

I gasped, drawing confused glances from my brother and sister.

My mother nodded, knowing that I knew.

"They already had a daughter, Lisa, but they'd never been able to have a son. They rechristened him Matt."

"But he would only have been in his teens when the entire incident happened." I interrupted again.

"Apparently, with my children, there's an amazing amount of loyalty, intelligence and determination in all of you. He must have plotted for years to find you. He broke into an Umbrella branch, hacked into our system and found you. He didn't know Lisa's contact was you. He just wanted to bring down Umbrella because he knew what was going to happen to you."

"I don't believe that," I interjected with a small smile, "I know he wanted to save me, but he wanted to bring Umbrella down because of so much more than that."

She sat and smiled sadly at me, reaching out to stroke the side of my face as she had done when I was a child. Then, it'd been comforting; now, it was just disconcerting.

"Oh, Alice,"" She looked even more sad as she whispered my name, "My baby. You are so much like him. Just as perceptive, as intelligent, as willing to fight to the death for those you love. Just as sweet, you have that same little crooked half-smile. But you are like me in some ways, too. You will fight for what you know is right, you'll stop at no cost to make the ones you love happy and you look so much like me."

"The ones you love? Obviously wasn't any of your children." I shot at her, deeply insulted by the inaccurate comparison.

"Sweetie, I do love you. And I'm gonna miss that wit of yours."

I glanced up at her then, startled by the sudden sharp change in her tone.

"Sweetheart, you can't honestly think we can let this go on. There's a cure now. You're an experiment that's far beyond Umbrella control. You're going to have to die."

My mother whipped out a handgun, surprising us all when she put it to her own head.

"I couldn't kill a piece of him. Not even Angela. There's nothing I can do. They're coming for you; It's out of my hands now. But I'm not going to kill our daughter." And with that, she pulled the trigger, splattering Carlos, Jill and I with the remains of the emotional, confusing, psycho mess that had, seconds earlier, been my mother.


	25. Intensified

a/n: Sorry it took so long again, guys. This is probably the last chapter. I will post an epilogue after this, cause I hate it when people don't tell you what happens after the story ends. So, enjoy it guys! Read and Review!!!

Carlos's POV

Alice and I whirled out of our seats as Wesker darted to the door. He whipped his gun out, aiming it back and forth between Alice and I. He finally decided Alice was the greater threat and fired a shot in her direction before running out of the door quickly. A window shattered behind us as the bullet hit it. Alice and I immediately snapped into action. I ran out of the door, followed by the rest of our group. I glanced at L.J., knowing he would do his best to keep Angie, K-Mart and Elise away from the danger.

Our group split up, Alice, Jill, Chris and I running in one direction, Claire, Mikey, Charlie and Maureen in another while L.J. stole away with the three girls. I took a deep breath before drawing a magnum.

"Love you, Jill." I heard Chris whisper to Jill behind me.

"See you on the other side." She winked at him before she and Alice turned and ran down another hallway, firing gunshots at the Umbrella agents coming for them from the opposite direction. Chris and I continued running straight ahead.

We came out of the hallway into a cavernous room streaming with agents.

"Shit." Chris' voice echoed from beside me.

"Drop your weapon!" A heated voice ordered.

"No, you drop your weapon." Alice replied snarkily from behind the offending agent before punching him in the face, the sound of his breaking nose echoing across the room.

Gunshots began sounding through it and I wasn't sure if they were from their side or ours.

And then, I wasn't sure that I wanted to draw this out, to seek the satisfaction and revenge I had longed for since Raccoon City.

I knew I wanted it over as quick as possible. I wanted to see my kids, and Claire and Mikey's kids, and Chris and Jill's and Betty and L.J.'s and Charlie's ang Angie and Elise all graduate high school, get married, have kids of their own.

I wanted to stand at the altar and watch as Alice came toward me down the aisle before we joined our souls together forever.

I wanted to bicker with L.J. about the cool factor of carseats.

I wanted to laugh at the crazy old man who lived down the road.

But for all that to happen, we had to win.

This was no longer a question of revenge; this was a matter of survival.

This was a fight for our futures, a fight for our kids' futures, a fight for any future at all.

Alice's POV

I laughed as I snapped his neck, remembering him as the man who'd recorded my test results in Isaac's lab. It was no skin off my back to get revenge.

I turned and kicked, breaking the spine of an agent about to shoot Jill.

They were dropping like flies around us. The screech of metal alerted me.

I stared in horror as I saw Carlos dangling by one hand from a railing, two agents poised to kill him.

My happy little fantasies flashed through my mind, all ending with his death this time. Tears escaped from my eyes, blurring my vision so that I didn't see Carlos drop to safety or the jagged metal railing falling quickly toward me.

"Alice!" Carlos' agonized and horrified voice jolted through me. I opened my eyes, then closed them again, finally prepared to die. But death didn't come.

"Well, that's a first." I said aloud, snapping my eyes open to survey the damage.

My father, Robert Abernathy, lay at my feet, the railing imbedded in his skull, his blood puddling around the two of us. With a gasp, I dropped to my knees and pulled his body toward me, out of danger.

"Daddy?" I choked out, the tears building up in my eyes.

His eyes were already beginning to cloud over as he whispered, "I'm sorry."

And with that, he was gone.

The tears burst from my eyes and just like that, the sounds of fighting around me died. The silence was painful in its absoluteness. A strong, warm pair of arms wrapped around me, pulling me to my feet.

"I'm so sorry." Carlos' pained voice whispered in my ear, his warm breath washing over my like a blanket.

I leaned against him, taking in the damaged. Many Umbrella agents lay slain throughout the room, though many remained standing, all eyes upon the beautiful agent crossing the floor.

"Baleigh…" I heard escape from Carlos.

Carlos' POV

I knew kharma was going to bite me in the ass one day. I didn't know what form it was going to take, but this was beyond cruel. My ex-wife continued to waltz towarde us with a smirk marring her face, her green eyes trained on us.

"Carlos," She began, her voice cloying in its fakeness and mocking, "It's been a long time, honey. Not even a notice that you were alive. I was utterly terrified for you, but obviously you didn't give a shit to how I felt."

She focused the eyes I'd once found the most beautiful on Earth, eyes that had long since been replaced in my heart by Alice's shocking blue, on Alice, looking malignant.

"Cause I didn't give a shit." I replied back. I moved very slightly, prepared to protect Alice at all costs.

Baleigh's eyes flashed a bit with pain before settling back to their normal vindictive, cold expression.

"Obviously not. You can't win Carlos."

"Who the fuck are you?" Alice hissed.

Baleigh smirked at her.

"Project Alice. It's a please, I'm sure. You mean Carlos never told you about me?"

"No. Why should he have?"

Baleigh chuckled darkly.

"You don't scan your fuck-buddies for wives first?"

Alice stiffened, looking just a bit insulted at the fuck buddy comment.

"No, I don't. If they're with me instead of their wives, there's a good reason."

For the first time, Baleigh's smile faltered.

"Exactly," I chimed in, "But I filed for divorce far before I even met Alice."

"However, as the world died, the divorce was never finalized. I'm still your wife, husband." She said, regaining her smirk as I lost mine.

"That can be remedied." I said. She laughed.

"By who? The world is dead, remember? Umbrella is all that's left. And now that the bitch is dead and I'm about to kill her stupid whore of a daughter, it and you are now all mine!" She started to laugh maniacally, turning to motion the remaining Umbrella guards to her side only to find L.J. there instead.

His evil grin out eviled hers as he smashed the crowbar in his right hand into her face, the loud crack echoing through the room as she collapsed to the floor, blood gushing freely from the fatal wound in her head.

"Till death do you part, bitch."

Alice's POV

And just like that, it was over.

Without a lead, the remaining Umbrella forces became disorganized and quickly fell against the onslaught of our small band of vigilantes. Only then could I let the tears fall.

That night, we all slept outside, Maureen and Elise joining us. I sobbed in Carlos' arms, the tears pouring down for my mother, my father, all the lies that fucked up all of our lives forever, but the tears held a new feeling to them. This time, there was a hope, a realization that it was finally all over.

Later on, everyone else had fallen asleep, exhausted from our war. I was still awake, staring at my children, running my fingers through K-Mart's long, tangled blonde hair, kissing the individual bruises on her face and hands, relived that she could finally live a normal life, the life she was meant to live and could finally get.

I brushed the back of my fingers over Phoe and Wars' faces, smiling as Phoe's eyelids fluttered open momentarily-revealing Carlos-brown eyes, the beautiful eyes she inherited from her beautiful father-before closing again.

I kissed Angie's cheeks, tucking her blanket up around her chin. Angie was just as much my daughter now as she was my sister.

My eyes roamed over to my brother, sister and niece, all huddled up together, finally all a definite part of the group. I saw Jill and Chris fast asleep, Jill in Chris' arms. Claire and Mikey had their daughter safely between them. Betty and L.J. were close to the kids, guardian angels as always.

Finally, my eyes fastened on Carlos, whose beautiful eyes were open and focused on me. I stared into them, holding the gaze like it was a lifeline. A slow grin spread across his face, his lips opening to whisper my name. I crawled into the warm, safe haven of his arms.

He pressed his lips against mine softly, drawing back to stare into my eyes. There was something changed about his eyes. It seemd that there was a great obstruction gone; I could see the light shining out of his eyes fully for the first time. There was no more fear, no more pain, no more worry. There was just pure happiness, relief that it was all over and everything was going to be okay.

"I love you," He whispered, kissing me again.

"I know," I whispered back, snuggling into his arms.

"Alice," He began, tightening his arms around me, " You seemed so sure earlier that I was yours, not Baleigh's. I am, but I don't know how you knew. I know that I don't' love you nearly as much as you deserve, but I want you to know that I do love you more than my heart can take."

I cut him off with a finger to his lips.

"Because I know you, Carlos. I trust you and I love you, more than you'll ever know."

The light shining out of his eyes intensified as we gazed at each other.

"I love you." He repeated.

"I love you, too." I said.

And so began the rest of our lives.


	26. Epilogue

K-Mart's POV

After the reanimation of the world and the downfall of Umbrella, everything slowly returned to normal.

But it was never the same.

We all eventually adjusted to our reformed society.

The zombies all regained their memories due to the serum and, with that, much of their humanity. We no longer felt endangered by walking outside. We were truly, finally free.

Betty and L.J. were married on Christmas Eve in the year 2010, 2 years after we saved the world. Betty established her own medical center in Florida and L.J. started his own business hand-designing small guns for general protection. Betty gave birth to their biological daughter, named Carlie after her godfather. They later adopted two boys, former zombies, that they christened Michael and Christopher.

Claire and Mikey were married three months after MiCaila's birth. The three of them relocated to New York, where they began a program to help the survivors and help the former zombies adjust to their new lives. They opened up an orphanage and basically adopted all the children they could, affecting many new lives.

Jill and Chris, at Jill's request, traveled back to what little was left of Raccoon City. They were married in the remains of the Ravens Gate Bridge Church, and then Jill, Mama, Daddy, L.J. and Angie took us to what was left of the school. The looks on their faces will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Jill and Chris settled down in Raccoon City, Chris and many former residents rebuilding it. The city was completed in 2011, just in time for the arrival of Peyton Alice Leona Valentine-Redfield, named for Jill's friend Peyton Wells, Mama, and Chris's old friend, Leon Kennedy.

Maureen and Elise moved into a loft in Los Angeles. Maureen developed a brain tumor in 2012, dying 5 months later. Elise relocated to Abernathy, Wyoming to live with Charlie in his, Mama's and Maureen's childhood home.

Daddy, Mama, Angie, Phoenixe, war and I moved into the Parks Manor, the mansion over the entrance to the Hive. Mama sealed the entrance and didn't reopen it again. Mama also avoided the master bedroom and bathroom and she never ventured near the entrance to the Hive.

Mama and Daddy were married in Las Vegas eleven days after the downfall of Umbrella. 9 months later, they added Finn Havoc Prospero-Olivera to our family. When Mama was pregnant again with twin girls Rhowyn Aenarchye and Kwendolin Gallerie, L.J. began joking that they could repopulate Raccoon city all by themselves. They both got a nice kick out of that.

Angie and I began attending Raccoon City High School, finally getting to be normal teenagers.

Angie graduated from school, heading to a nearby university to major in computer technology.

I majored in journalism, often covering the exploits of Daddy, Jill and Chris as they brought order back to the world after returning to their law-enforcement roots.

Mama became the virtual president of the world, helping where she could for a long while before retiring to help Daddy four years later.

The world is no longer null. And we are to blame.

And that's how the world ended, and began again.

The end

A/N: This is it, guys. The end. A huge thanks to all you guys who stuck with me and my erratic plot from the beginning. This one's dedicated to you guys! I love y'all!


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